Puppetmaster
by UpsideofCrazy
Summary: Sakura Kinomoto was an ordinary highschooler until the Book of Clow appeared and dubbed her its new master. Now she has to protect the book and the cards inside while trying to control her newfound magic. As if being a teenager wasn't hard enough! AU
1. Prolouge

_She stood alone in a pitch black room. The only sound audible was the frantic beating of her heart. Thick and heavy, the air draped itself around the lone figure. Even though the room was warm, she found herself shivering. Was it the evil atmosphere of the place that caused her to shudder? Clutching the small key she suddenly felt in her fisted right hand, the girl peered into the dark, hoping to find some source of light. Something to give her a sense of direction in this dark maze._

_Suddenly, three spotlights were switched on. One light shone in front of her, one to her right, and one to her left. They illuminated three objects, three choices, three paths that she could take. To the right, the light rested upon a golden-brown book, inside which rested pink cards. Each card was adorned with intricate designs; some of figures, some of familiar objects, and some of strange objects and patterns. From the hand clenching the key, she felt a slight tug towards the book and cards. To the left, the light shone upon the figure of a small wolf-puppy, lying bruised and bloody on its side, pleading at the girl with soulful amber eyes. At this sight, her heart skipped a beat, and her left hand flew towards the injured wolf. Her entire being was now split in two; half of her wanted to go towards the left, half of her needed to go towards the right. Pain slashed through her as her body continued to pull in two different directions, and she cried out in a broken voice. In front of the girl in the last light, this sickly yellow in color, dangled a wooden marionette. Its crooked smile was drawn on sloppily, and its blank eyes seemed to stare right through her. Shadows cast half of the carved face into darkness, and the other half seemed all the more aware for it. Movement caught the girl's eyes as the puppet jarringly extended an arm, its wooden parts clinking together in a harsh-sounding ruckus. The thing was offering the girl a way out of the horrid choice she had to make between her heart or her duty, a false path that seemingly led out of the darkness and back into a fake sense of security and light. She knew the puppet was trying to deceive her, yet she yearned for a way out of her decision, a way out like the puppet was providing, no, tempting her with._

_The girl was released from the grip the things to her right and left held her with. Lurching forward with the sudden freedom, the girl realized she had moved towards the marionette. Hurriedly trying to take a backwards step, the girl found that she couldn't. Trying desperately to move her feet back, she looked up wildly for a second to find the marionette's painted eyes dancing and its smile a bit more crooked than she had last remembered. The little wolf whined pitifully and the cards and book glowed for a split second before fading back to their normal color. She had fallen under the spell of the puppet. Taking a deep breath, the girl tried to clear her mind. It would not hold her; she was free of the strings that chained the puppet to whoever was up there in the shadows, taunting her. She would not be a pawn, she would think for herself. _

_Unwillingly, her feet began to once again move forward. Frantically, the girl tried to stop their motion, but it was to no avail. Time had evaded the girl, and she no longer had control of her body. The puppet beckoned, and its painted smile seemed to grow larger. The girl's hands reached out jerkily, like they had been captured by the invisible strings that supported the marionette. From her right hand, the key she had been clutching so tightly fell. It clattered to the floor, a deafening sound in the mute darkness. The light to her right flickered and faded out to black, engulfing the book and cards. Turning her head with effort towards the wolf, she was surprised and hurt to find it had turned its back on her to lick its multiple bleeding wounds, and it too was fading into the blackness. The girl tried to cry out to it, to anyone, but no sound could escape from her open mouth. Without warning her mouth was snapped shut, and her head was jerked around to face the puppet. Wagging a wooden hand at the girl as if to tell her off, the puppet again offered its hand, which the girl was helpless to try and take. Fingers of flesh were inches away from fingers of wood. Another second and the girl would make contact with the outstretched hand of the marionette. From above, a quiet, dark chuckle echoed, and it seemed that the light around the puppet intensified. Just one more moment…_


	2. Discovery

I sat up with a jolt, panting. In front of my weary eyes, the marionette still danced, its hand outstretched towards me. Blinking, I found that my own hands were raised, though whether to swat the puppet's hand away or to take it, I didn't know. I had a feeling it would've been the second option, and I shivered. Cold sweat gathered at my forehead and trickled down my face, giving the impression that I was or had been crying. Wiping my brow and face with the back of my hand I sank back into my soft bed, wondering what was happening to me. That had been the third time I'd had that dream. It was the first time, however, that the dream-me had approached the puppet to that extent. Usually, I'd take my first step towards the puppet, and either the wolf-puppy or the book and cards would intervene, doing something to distract me from the fake promise. Then I would wake up.

Rolling over, I glanced at the alarm clock beside my bed. 1:48 AM flashed across the screen in bright red numbers. Thankfully it was Sunday, which meant no school to wake up at the crack of dawn for. Unable to fall back asleep, I tossed and turned for a while before retreating to my desk. The desk was my favorite place to relax, wind down, and immerse myself in my drawings. My pink notebook lay crooked on the pale wood; its pages open to a random drawing of what looked to be a stuffed animal with a puff for a tail and two little chibi-ish wings. Doodles of it and a peculiar symbol of stars, sun, and moon covered the pages of the notebook. These images, along with the reoccurring dream, were constantly invading my mind. As a result, the pages of this notebook were covered with the before mentioned items that were constantly in my thoughts. The notebook was my outlet. Recently, creepy marionette drawings had been brought to the pages as well; though I made sure they ended up in the very back of the notebook, away from my other, more calming doodles. For me, drawing was a form of communication and a way to let out stress and save memories. In other words, it was one of my favorite hobbies.

Picking up my favorite, felt-tipped pen (the one decorated with celestial symbols), I flipped to a clean sheet of paper and absent-mindedly began sketching a rectangle. Soon, the rectangle turned into a book. On the front cover was the bust of a lion-beast, his (somehow, I knew that it was a he) white wings wreathing its prideful face. I knew that the jewel on its head was a ruby red. Beside the front cover, I drew another rectangle, this one turning out to be the back cover of the same book. It was adorned with the same star, moon, and circle pattern that I had been drawing for weeks. It didn't startle me much that this book was identical to the one that had been present in my dreams. I was beginning to wonder when I would begin to sketch it.

Staring out my open window, I kept an eye out for shooting stars. Shooting stars were my favorite celestial thing. I believed that each shooting star fell to Earth, landing somewhere on its surface, small and burnt out. One of my dreams was to find such an object. My pale pink curtains danced in the slight nightly breeze as I traced my pen over the paper, still staring out the window. When a shock went through the hand that was clutching the pen, I glanced down at what I had written. Above and a bit to the right of the sketch of the book's covers, the letters "C-L-O-W" had been perfectly made. Puzzled, I scratched the back of my head with the capped end of my pen. Since when could I draw, let alone write, blind?

_More importantly, what does 'Clow' mean?_

Without knowing what I was doing, I scratched out to the left of the "Clow" the words "The Book Of." Realizing that all four words formed a single object, presumably the book I had drawn, I strung the words together in my head.

"'The Book of Clow.' What type of book is that?" I muttered aloud, staring at the open notebook on my desk. Suddenly, the words and drawings on the page began to glow gold. A tug on my neck caused me to look down and notice that my pink, bird-headed key was twirling round and round. It too was letting out a faint golden glow. The necklace had been a gift from my deceased okaa-san, Nadeshiko. Apparently, she had bought it on a whim for me when I had been born. To my knowledge, I had never once taken it off, even when I went swimming. Wherever I went, the necklace went. It made me feel closer to my okaa-san, who had died when I was just 3 years old. Along with the book I had sketched, my necklace was ever-present in my dreams.

Bringing my precious keepsake out, I quickly dropped it and let it hang loose above my shirt, as I found it was mysteriously hot to the touch, almost scalding. The shiny pink, semi-burned skin on my right hand was a testament to that fact. Turning my attention back to the page, I was nearly thrown off my chair when I saw that the lines I had drawn a minute earlier were rearranging themselves. After a few long seconds, the golden glow settled down, and I found I was able to finger my key necklace again.

"Hoe!" I exclaimed softly, staring down at the two newly rearranged pages in awe and fear. The hand holding my necklace was beginning to shake slightly.

Covering the pages now was a rough map of my home-town; Tomoeda, Japan; with precise details of the various shops, houses, buildings, and parks in the town. It even labeled the post box on the corner of my street. All the streets were named. Even the individual houses were numbered. Over my own house, I noticed a black shadow-image of my key necklace. A pale gold keyhole was located by the giant penguin slide in Penguin Park, one of my favorite childhood hang-outs. Slowly, the key figure over my house began to slide towards the golden keyhole in Penguin Park. Blankly staring at the moving map, I was shocked when words appeared at the bottom of the map in a strange, flowing script.

"Follow the key to the keyhole. The Book of Clow is calling, Cardmistress Sakura Kinomoto."

Startled that a piece of paper could know my name (but was that really all that startling, considering?), I jerked back in my seat and this time I did fall off my chair. In a reflex action, I slammed my hand down on my desk to try to stop myself, not that it would do much. As it turned out, my hand slammed down right on top of the odd map. Instantly warmth flowed into my body, and my key necklace lifted a few inches into the air, spinning widely as it did so, so that I was staring into the red jewels that lay in either side of the key head. Yelling, I fell backwards and my hand left the map in my journal, its sudden removal causing the journal to spin wildly off my desk. In an instant, the warmth left my body and the key dropped and hung limply over my night shirt again.

Looking down to where my journal had fallen, I was surprised to find the pages that had bore the map were completely blank, as if I had never drawn anything on the page; as if nothing had happened. Picking up the journal, I flipped through the pages to find every single one of them blank. None of this made sense, and it was scaring me. What if I was being contacted by one of the many spirits Touya had told me about when I was younger? Quickly pushing that theory out of my head, so as not to psyche myself out, I returned my gaze to the blank pages.

_Was the whole thing, the drawing, the re-drawing, the map, just… a dream?_

A pain in my right hand discounted that possibility. Examining my hand, I found the pink burn mark in the dull light from my desk-side lamp. It was a burn I hadn't obtained before the drawing episode. Last time I checked, dreams couldn't hurt you. My experience had been real, even as unbelievable as it seemed. Imprinted in my brain, the image of the map continued to pulse and the fancy words continued to flow across its bottom, taunting me and stoking my natural curiosity.

"Cardmistress…" I muttered, my forehead furrowing as I frowned. Just what was that? Some fancy female casino-person? Shaking my head of all my silly explanations, I figured the only way to figure out what The Book of Clow was and why it was summoning me, the supposed "Cardmistress," (according to my magical, self-drawing journal), was to do what the map told me to do.

Luckily, my onii-chan Touya was away at college and my otou-san, Fujitaka, was spending the night at his office at the college he taught at to finish up his archeological lecture for the next morning. Sneaking out in the wee hours of the morning to go hunt some fantastical treasure made known to me by a magical map would never have been allowed by my family. Plus, I'm pretty sure they would've both been woken up by my spectacular fall off my chair, and my even more spectacular yell after that. (Speaking of that, I was still on the ground, wasn't I?) What they didn't know couldn't hurt them, right?

_I hope I didn't wake the neighbors up!_

Debating over whether I should call Tomoyo Daidoji, my best friend since the diaper days, I decided against it. Any sane person (unfortunately, I didn't exactly fit into that category, what with the whole drawing-turning-into-map thing) would be sleeping, and I didn't want to wake Tomoyo. Another reason against inviting Tomoyo out was that the girl would no doubt force me into some poufy, frilly, dress-y outfit just so she could get some great costume footage. Obsessed with video-taping and outfit-making, Tomoyo seized every chance she got to tape me, her favorite model, in some girly outfit doing whatever it was Tomoyo dictated we would do that day. I didn't mind too much (even though some of the poses she made me do were a bit uncomfortable); I loved Tomoyo as my best-friend-ever; but right now, at two in the morning, I couldn't handle dressing–up to go out treasure hunting. A bit tomboyish (even though pink was my favorite color, go figure); I was sporty and preferred clothes that you could move around easily in (though I did like to dress up every once in a while, and skirts were all right as long as I wore shorts underneath), like the tee-shirt and sleep-pants I was wearing right now. Tomoyo no doubt had on some sort of lacey nightdress, but she was more feminine than I.

Slipping a sweater over my over-sized grey sleep-shirt and a pair of sweat-pants over my sleeping pants (it was getting colder out now days), I headed out in my favored means of transportation; my rollerblades. My cherry red helmet fit snugly over my short, golden-brown locks, and my green eyes sparkled with excitement and curiosity. I had always been a fan of mystery and adventure, and I was eager to get myself into some of the action, even if I was scaring myself half to death. So what if curiosity killed the cat? Satisfaction brought it back! Even if the map turned out to have been a scam or some hallucination induced by the gunk labeled as food and eaten by me for dinner (leftover night last night, joy), I'd at least have a good story to share with my friends at school. And if the map was true, well… I'd just have to wait and see.

Turning a sharp corner, I grasped a white pole to keep upright as my body swung around it. Putting on speed fueled by anticipation and adrenaline, I rushed ahead into Penguin Park. Some sixth sense led me to a giant cherry blossom tree. For some reason, the tree was in full bloom, even though it was mid-fall. Questions dancing through my mind, I looked up into its heavy branches, searching for an answer to the tree's abnormal growth. The weird part was that, even with how often I'd visited the park, I had never noticed that this tree bloomed out of season. Actually, I had never noticed this tree, period. Was the map trying to give me a sign? After all, my name, "Sakura," meant "cherry blossom." Glancing up through the branches, a flash of gold caught my eye. I began to climb, even with my teeth chattering not from the cold, but from nervousness.

Arm over arm, I hauled myself up the tree. Thankfully, I had been gifted with natural balance and agility (even though it failed me sometimes); otherwise the task would've been quite daunting. The golden object grew closer as I pulled myself up into the branches, becoming hidden among the moonlit blossoms. Reaching up, I managed to get a hold on the shining object. It was the book. Tightening my grasp, I lodged myself between two branches and tried to open it. My actions were to no avail though, as the book stayed stubbornly shut. However, I was equally, if not more so, stubborn and I refused to give up. I faltered a little when a breeze blew through the branches, creating an eerie howling noise. I had to let go of the book with one hand so I could grasp the trunk of the tree, digging my face into the bark in fear. Yes, I was scared. Did I mention how everything around me was really, really dark?

_How could I have forgotten a flashlight?_

Continuing to pull on the covers, I almost didn't notice that my key necklace was once again emitting a golden glow. After I noticed the faint light coming from underneath my sweater and drew the key out, I noticed the keyhole on the book's cover. With the light provided from the key's glow combined with the moonlight, I was also able to make out the cover of the book. In a scrolling script, "The Book of Clow" was written. Beneath it was the same winged lion-beast I had drawn earlier and, flipping the Book over, the same pattern that had once been present in my notebook was present on the back of the Book.

Glancing between the key end of my necklace and the keyhole in the Book, I figured that the two would fit together. Feeling dumb for not noticing the keyhole earlier and a bit apprehensive, I removed the key necklace from around my neck and placed it in the Book's keyhole. Turning the key, I waited for something to happen. I didn't have to wait long.

As soon as the key clicked and the Book's cover opened, a giant, golden symbol appeared at the base of the cherry blossom tree, right underneath where I was perched. It was the same insignia I had been drawing for the past couple of weeks. Gusts of wind whipped through the branches, toying with the short strands of hair that escaped from under my helmet. The open Book proudly displayed a stack of cards titled "Clow Cards", each of which differed from the next. On the top of the deck was a card with an ethereal, pale yellow, wispy female figure titled "The Windy." Quickly snapping the Book shut before any of the beautifully crafted cards could escape into the breeze, I glanced with a mixture of awe and fright at The Book of Clow. A soft golden glow began to emanate from the cover of the Book. The glow began to rise up and take an animalistic shape, one similar to that of a teddy bear.

Startled, I leaned back in my tree-seat. The branch on which I now rested couldn't support me, and it began to break. This went, unfortunately, unnoticed by me, since I was captivated with the way the golden light had now formed a yellow teddy-bear being, with two large ears, two tiny closed eyes, and one big mouth. On its long tail was a puff of white fluff. It was the bear-thing from my notebook, and it was actually pretty cute! When the eyes flew open and two tiny white wings sprouted from the back of the stuffed bear thing, I jerked backwards, startled, snapping the branch I had been leaning on with the sudden pressure I exerted on it.

Falling backwards as if in slow motion, I saw the yellow bear thing shake itself off then look around, as if searching for something. When it finally turned its gaze down and saw me falling, horror filled its tiny black eyes. It tried to dive down towards me, but it was still having issues with its newly formed wings, and couldn't seem to be able to fly straight. Two strands of longer hair drifted out in front of my face, and my unbuckled helmet fell off to land next to my rollerblades at the base of the tree, setting the rest of my hair free. It fanned out about me as the wind rushed through it, creating a sort of lion's mane around my startled face. For a few seconds, I felt as though I was swimming in mid-air. No sound emerged from between my parted lips.

Unknowingly, my hand instinctively clutched at the bird-headed key, and the star pattern one again spread out from underneath my feet. A transformation was taking place in the key. It was turning from a bird's head to an encircled star with little white wings sprouting from either side of the circle. Then the key was growing, elongating, into a rod with the same pattern at its head. Grasping the staff, I cried out with a newfound voice the first thing that came to my mind: the name of the card I had seen at the top of the deck in the Book.

"WINDY!" My yell echoed off each flower and branch on the cherry blossom tree, rebounded into my own ears, loud and desperate. A card slipped from between the covers of the Book, turning itself upright to face me as I wildly jabbed it with my newly formed staff. The card turned into the figure of the woman that had been on the card, bringing with her silvery winds. The woman swerved downwards to aid me, forming a cushion of wind to stop my fall. Viewing all of the events with eyes wide open in awe, I came to a gentle stop on the ground in an upright sitting position, the cherry blossom tree supporting my back.

The silver woman smiled gently at me before returning to card form and coming to rest in my open hand. The Windy card was no longer a reddish-brown color. Its new hue was a light pink, with the star symbol that had appeared at my feet on its back. Opening the Book, I found that the other cards still held their original color, a contrast to the pink Windy card. Looking at my open hand, I found the rod I had been clutching tightly had returned to my key necklace, except it was no longer a bird's head that adorned the key's top. It was the yellow star I had noticed earlier. I had been clutching it so tightly; its image had been ingrained in my hand.

Slipping the key back around my neck, I sat under the tree for a while, feeling drained and frightened from my close call with death and the events that had occurred to prevent me from dying. The Windy still lay in my hand, clutched between my shaking fore-finger and thumb. It, along with my new key-necklace, brought a sense of warmth and security to me, calming my frazzled nerves. Whatever I had done back there had drained me. Was it magic I had preformed; the stuff of legends, fairy tales, and fantasy? How could it be possible? How could it be _real_?

Gazing up through the branches at the almost-full moon, I noticed the golden bear-thing was covering its eyes with its small paws while clutching a tree branch with its tail. When it removed its arms and met my green eyes with its black, it let out a huge sigh and smiled at me.

"That was close!" The orange-yellow creature proclaimed in an Osaka dialect, "Any later and the new Cardmistress would've been flat as a pancake. Mmm cake… Anyway, it was smart of you to pick Windy, but it would've been better if you had picked Fly. It was pretty good for your first time though, especially in such circumstances. Oh right, my name's Kero; short for Keroberos, the lion on the front of The Book of Clow. That's my true form, but I don't quite remember how to get back to that form. Right now though, we should probably be getting back to your place. It'll be easier to explain things in the privacy of your own room. I imagine you're pretty tired, huh?" The creature, name Kero, turned to where I was lying only to find his whole rant had fallen on deaf ears. I was half-asleep and incoherent, worn out from the events of the early morning, yet I had the strength to grasp the Book and hug it tightly to myself.

Grumbling slightly, Kero flew down to where The Book of Clow and I rested and, with some effort, lifted me up. Grabbing my rollerblades and helmet in his strong little jaw, Kero took off into the night, flying crookedly just above the tree line and heading towards the Kinomoto-san residence. I dangled from his paws, drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep with my key somehow around my neck again and the Book of Clow and cards clutched tightly in my arms.

_It's a good thing I know where you live!_ Kero looked at the sleeping girl (that would be me) dangling from his paws, and shook his head regretfully.

_Good luck, my new Cardmistress._


	3. Explanation

Coming to, I found myself back in my own room, lying on my own bed. Blinking, I wearily sat up. Why was I so tired? Surely it _couldn't_ have been that near-death experience and the magic I preformed to stop it! It felt strange to associate that word with myself; "magic." Rubbing the grit from my eyes, I glanced down at my hands, which were still clutching the Book of Clow to my chest. Placed gently on my desk, over my much-doodled notebook, was the single pink Clow Card. Remembering the events of this morning, I shuddered, and clutched the book tightly to myself. Just what had occurred last night, and how did I have anything to do with it?

Kicking my feet out from underneath the covers that had been mysteriously pulled over me, I struggled to stand up. Something was propelling me to pick up the single pink card that was resting on my desk. Before I could get even one elbow beneath me, I was pushed back by a flying mass of golden fur. Falling onto my back, I stared up in surprise at the thing that had launched itself at me in.

"Oh no you don't!" It cried, and after a few seconds I recognized it from my earlier adventure. "You're staying right where you are missy. Using the Clow Cards, not to mention transforming one into who knows what type of card - and might I add you were using your own magical energy to do it - takes a lot out of ya!"

Gently pushing me back into the bed, the bear-thing stuck out a paw to shake. Gently taking the paw in my thumb and pointer finger, I bobbed it up in down in a mini-handshake. "Nice ta meecha, little Cardmistress. I'm your Guardian Beast. The name's Kero - short for Keroberos." Puffing out his little chest, Kero continued, "I may not look like much right now, but you should see my true form! It's kick-butt awesome! Just take a peek at the cover of The Book of Clow. That's my true, magnificent mug! I don't quite remember how to transform back to my real form, though…"

_Hoe! That Kero sure knows how to talk an ear off. I think mine might've jumped ship and committed suicide!_ I glanced at the little creature. The Guardian Beast, or whatever he was (it didn't exactly look strong enough to guard anything), stared at me expectantly. Actually, I hazily remember the little guy from last night. He had been extremely chatty back then, as well. He hadcarried me back home, along with my rollerblades and helmet, so I guess I could live with his never-ceasing statements. Almost instantly after a million and one questions flooded my mind.

"Um, excuse me, Kero-sama?" I hesitantly started, to be stopped mid-idea by a frantically waving Kero.

"Whoa, hold up! What's with the honorifics? It's way too polite for my taste! Kero-chan is more than enough for me. If anyone should be polite to someone, it should be me, Sakura-sama!" Kero chided, shaking his stubby finger at me. Eyes widening at the cheeky mini-beast, I blushed when he turned my honorific back on me.

"Sakura-chan's fine for me as well, Kero-chan!" Smiling at Kero, I fiddled with his tail. It was so poufy; I just had to touch it!

"Watch it!" Kero yelped, tugging his tail from my hands.

"Oops!" I blushed even darker. In my absent-minded twiddling, I had accidentally tugged his tail too hard. Releasing the white strands of tail-hair that I had plucked, I watched as they floated towards my comfort. Patting the fuming beast on its head, I asked, "Would you feel better if I got you some pudding?" I really didn't want to deal with a pouting Kero, especially when he most likely held the answers to my many questions.

Kero instantly lit up. "Pudding?" He questioned excitedly, gazing up at me. Suddenly his eyes had quadrupled in size, and he had even managed to make them tear up. "For me? Sakura-heika, you are able to pull my tail as much as you want as long as I get my pudding!" Laughing at his sudden mood swing, I rushed downstairs to the fridge to pick up two puddings; one for me and one for Kero. I'm sure Touya wouldn't miss his pudding! Plus, it's not like I was going to remind him of it anytime soon.

Placing the pudding in front of the eager Kero, he instantly dug in. "Ask anything you want, my dear, dear Sakura-chan!" He proclaimed through a mouth full of dessert. Nibbling a bit at my pudding, I set the spoon down and eyed the happily eating bear-creature in front of me. Sure, I could ask any question, but would I be able to understand the answer when he had a mouth full of pudding?

Taking a deep breath, I bravely started asking my multiple questions, "How do you know my name? What's a Guardian Beast? Why did my drawing turn into a map? What's The Book of Clow, and what's a Cardmistress? Why me? How did I summon Windy, or whatever her name was? Why did her card change colors? What are the cards anyways? Can you tell me-?"

"Hold up with the avalanche of questions!" Kero cried, holding his head and reeling back while shaking his spoon around, "Lemme explain everything, but let's do it one question at a time! I can't remember half the things you blurted out!" Sticking his spoon back into his pudding, Kero removed a glob and stuck it in his mouth before gesturing at me to continue with the spoon, huge in his little hand.

"Okay." I nodded, and proceeded to my first question. "First, can you define some things for me? Like, what's a Guardian Beast, what's a Cardmistress, what are the Clow Cards, what's the Book of Clow, and most importantly, what (or who) is Clow?"

"Mwi thwnk thdts mwre den uhn kwestun." Kero mumbled through his mouthful of sugary goop.

"Could you repeat that?" I asked, trying to distinguish words from the mess of sounds that had gotten through his stuffed mouth.

"I meant: I think that's more than one question." Kero replied when his mouth was empty. Placing his spoon in his empty pudding glass he continued, "But I'll answer them anyway. I think it'd be easiest to start with who Clow was. As I mentioned two seconds earlier, Clow Reed was a 'who,' and probably the greatest sorcerer to ever live. He managed to seal a bunch of forces into those Clow Cards you saw there." I opened my mouth to protest how he had heartlessly trapped those innocent forces in the cards (I'm a big softie, I know), and Kero hurriedly kept speaking. "He befriended all the spirits before he turned them into cards. Actually, I shouldn't say **all** the spirits. Some he captured because they were wrecking havoc in the un-magical world, and messing with people. Clow was afraid someone would get hurt, so he took the cards that he had managed to seal and placed them in a Book; the Book of Clow. He created me and another Guardian to guard the book and the next Card Keeper. I'm not sure where Yue is though."

"Yue?" I asked, liking the sound of the name. It rolled off my tongue and sorta reminded me of Yuki, or Yukito Tsukishiro, my onii-chan's best friend and my former crush. I didn't like him anymore though; I mean, I still liked him, but my like was more the type of like I had for my family. (Does that make sense?) He was more of another, kinder onii-chan to me now than a love.

"Yue draws his power from the moon, whereas I draw my power from the sun. His symbol is on the back cover of the Book." Kero explained, and I nodded slowly, even though I was still really confused.

"Clow died centuries ago; right before he passed, he sealed Yue and me into the book, though why Yue didn't appear from the book beats me. Maybe he's hidden in some other form as well? Anyways, I've been locked up in that book waiting for the Cardmistress to come. Yes, Clow knew that the next Card Keeper would be a girl. How, I don't know. He also placed the book in Tomoeda because he knew that the girl would be from there. Yue's probably somewhere in this city as well. Clow also knew the girl's name would be Sakura Kinomoto. That answer's your question of how I knew your name. Clow was prophetic, in case you couldn't tell. Oh, and a Cardmistress is the Card Keeper; the one who has the power to use the cards. You proved you were the Cardmistress when you opened the Book of Clow and set me free. Thanks for that by the way. Now, did I miss anything?" Kero scratched his head, and looked at me.

"Nope, I think you got it all!" I smiled widely at Kero, some of my questions had been answered, and some pieces of the puzzle had been put into place. I was still left with some pretty big gaps though, and I'm not sure Kero would be able to fill them all.

Kero sat back and took some deep breaths, then flew to my bedside water glass and stuck his face in, taking deep gulps of water.

"Boy, I haven't talked that much in ages! And I literally mean **ages**." Kero chuckled at his own lame joke while I rolled my eyes and moved the now empty glass from my bedside table. Reminding myself to wash that glass later, I reprimanded Kero as I thought of some more questions I had asked in my first round of interrogation.

"You still have to answer my questions of how I summoned Windy and why her card changed color. Also, what happened to my key? First it was a bird key, then a star rod, and then a star key." Glancing down at the object in discussion, I puzzled over its new shape for a second before returning my eyes to Kero.

"As to how you could summon Windy, you're the new Cardmistress, aren't you? All the Clow Cards will listen to your command now; just make sure you treat them right. Transforming the card like that though…" Kero puzzled over his answer for a while before laying his paws out in front of me on some invisible desk and giving me the hard truth. "I actually didn't think that was possible. It seems you've taken your own magic power and bound the card to that instead of Clow Reed's lingering magic. You must be stronger than you look, kid. Doing that would also be the cause of your exhaustion; you're not used to exercising your magic yet, and you just did some pretty high level sorcery. Windy is relying solely on your energy now, but she'll be stronger because of it. I'm guessing you also changed your key into a rod to channel your own magic like you did with the cards, thus its appearance changed. You can release your key into your rod when you're using magic. Be careful not to overexert yourself; doing so could cause to pass out, or worse. Inexperienced sorcerers have killed themselves performing spells too draining for their energy levels." Kero's normally cheerful self turned grim suddenly. Chills ran down my spine, and I made a mental note to never stretch myself too thin.

"What should I call the pink card? From what you've said, I'm guessing it's not a Clow Card anymore." I questioned, gazing over at the pink card labeled "The Windy." It looked innocently up at me; the only one of its kind. So far, at least.

"Why not call them Sakura Cards, in honor of their maker and Mistress? I think it's catchy!" Kero chimed, giving me a wide, goofy grin as he reverted back to his normal, optimistic self. When I tried to protest the name, Kero waved me off and floated over to where The Windy rested, completely ignoring my feeble protests.

"Hear that, Windy? You're now a Sakura Card!" Kero told the card, and in response the card gave off a soft glow.

"See?" Kero turned towards me and let out a smug smile, "Windy approves!"

Shaking my head, I lay back down. Pulling the blankets up to my chin, I glanced over at the cards to check that they were safe. Feeling a small bit of warmth on my back, I craned my head around and looked down to see Kero lying curled up, cat-style next to me under the covers.

"I still haven't agreed to be the Cardmistress, or whatever you call it." I whispered to Kero, who just waved one hand, brushing my sentence off, and snuggled closer. Sighing, I drew him closer to the warmth my body gave off.

"You're the Cardmistress whether you want to be or not. The Key, Clow Cards, and Book have chosen you, and you won't be able to hide your presence from the ones who might come after them now that you've awoken your magic. And now I'm done explaining and I want to sleep. Goodnight.

"I'll figure out what to do with you in the morning." I yawned, and flipped over, hugging the completely conked-out Kero to my chest like I would a stuffed animal. "Sleep tight, Kero-chan."


	4. And Cut!: Introducing Tomoyo

"Morning, Tomoyo-chan!" I chirped nervously at my best friend as I rushed into the classroom, trying to quell the quivering heap in my shoulder bag by gently slapping it. Late as usual, I made it into the classroom with just minutes to spare. A muffled "Ow!" resounded from the bag when I slapped it. The exclamation was caused by Kero, who insisted that he follow me to school, just in case something was to happen. Secretly, I thought he just wanted to go sight-seeing, and maybe steal some of the foods I had packed in my lunch. With Kero it was all about the food, particularly sweets. The lump in my bag continued to quiver.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan. What's that moving in your bag?" Tomoyo asked, peering around me to where my bag rested at my side.

"Oh, it's nothing. You must've imagined it, heh heh!" I fibbed, my eyes straying over to the black board and my hands nervously fiddling with the hem of my skirt. Even to my own ears, my lie sounded weak. I had never been a good liar, especially when it came to friends and family. Who was I kidding; a complete stranger could probably catch my bluff!

When my eyes finally met Tomoyo's inquisitive violet ones, I knew that Tomoyo did not believe a word I had said, and that the truth was going to be squeezed out of me one way or another. Thankfully, before Tomoyo could say anything, our teacher stepped into the room and lessons began. I knew I'd be in for an interrogation round after school, and it was something I was not particularly looking forward to.

It was the final period. Math, the subject being taught right now, I especially hated. Numbers, equations, algebra, and the like were just not my forte, especially when it was the end of the day and I was tired out from all the previous lessons before this one. Oh cruel, cruel schedule. Gym and music were the subjects I preferred, even if they weren't true lessons.

Light and agile, I was easily able to do the jumps, sprints, and actions that Gym required. That was also the reason I had been hand-picked for the captain of the cheerleading squad in my high school. As captain, I kept the other girls in order and created/choreographed the cheers that we preformed during sports matches. Keeping the girls in order was easy for me, as I was good with people and generally liked by everyone. Being captain also meant demonstrating different cheers, which I did with a giant grin on my face all through the cheer. My favorite part of cheerleading was the tumbling, but baton throwing was also fun (even though sometimes the baton would land on my head instead of in my hand). The stereotype that cheerleaders were all mean, snooty girls is not true. I'm a cheerleader, and a lot of my friends are. In fact, some of the nicest, most considerate people I know are on the cheer squad! Another part of the job was making sure the outfits we wore had enough material. The point of cheerleaders was to encourage the players, not divert their attention from the game.

Coming back to reality, I noticed the teacher was hailing me.

"Kinomoto-san! Are you paying any attention to the lesson going on?" the teacher, Terada-sensei, exclaimed in exasperation. Thankfully, Terada-sensei was familiar with my frequent day-dreams. He had been my teacher for years, and everyone liked him. In fact, I think for Rika (one of my friends) it was a bit more than like…

Instead of paying attention to what sensei had been saying, I had been reliving what I had gone through early (_really_ early) that morning and the conversation I'd had with Kero a bit later. Truth be told, I was still a bit freaked at what had happened, but I was otherwise taking it really well (in my opinion). It's almost like I had somehow expected that I would end up in possession of the Clow Cards, now gradually transforming into the Sakura Cards, if that made sense. So far I had 1 card transformed out of 52. (I had woken up early for once this morning and had spent the time examining the cards, which meant counting them and staring at the designs and names printed on them. Thus, by the time I finally got out the door, I had about 5 minutes to rollerblade to school.) Not that I was still set on becoming the next Cardmistress, or whatever, as I had told Kero multiple times this morning. He just waved me off, muttering about how I'd come around eventually. Oh right, sensei's looking at me expectantly.

"Hai, Terada-sensei!" I yelled, tripping over my own feet as I hurried to stand up. I might've been agile and a cheerleader, but that didn't mean I was cured of all klutzy moments. I think I inherited my occasional klutz-ups from my mom, who, thought she had been a brilliant model, had been known for her perpetual clumsiness off the set. From my shoulder sack quiet chuckles sounded. Glaring at the bag and the one black eye I could see peering out a button-hole, I turned to my teacher. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Tomoyo give my bag and me a quick, thoughtful glance.

_Tomoyo-chan's too observant for her own good! Oh well, I guess I'll just tell her after school's over. She's my best friend, and she knows how to keep a secret. I would've probably ended up telling her anyways. Lord knows I've never been much good at keeping secrets from her…_ Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the teacher's mouth moving until it was too late.

"…and so Y=23. Now Kinomoto-san, could you tell us what X is?" Sensei looked up from the board where he had been chalking the problem at me.

Paling, I stared blank-faced at the equation, trying to find a answer that could work. The different symbols and numbers swam around in front of my eyes so that I felt I was drowning in math.

_Would 3 work? No, that seems to low for the equation. What about 10? It's my lucky number! No, that wouldn't work either. Oh gosh, I hate math!_

I was saved when Naoko came to my rescue, holding up a 1 and a 4 behind her back. It was nice to have smart friends who just so happened to sit in front of you and would help you out if you were a complete idiot when it came to math and happened to daydream a lot which didn't help a bit.

"X is equal to 14, sensei!" I answered with confidence. Naoko had always been better at math than I had; math and language arts. Chiharu was the artsy one, Takashi the one who was forever telling stories (most of which I took to be true; I'm just too gullible), while Rika was into science, which just so happened to also be taught my Terada-sensei! Could there be a connection? Tomoyo was good at practically everything, but she was best at singing. With an absolutely breath-taking voice, Tomoyo had won many awards since she entered the school choir in elementary school. Drums were about the only musical instrument I could play well. Touya had taught me a bit of piano, which he had learned from okaa-san, but that was all. Other stringed and brass instruments just didn't suit me, though my voice was okay. Nothing compared to Tomoyo's however.

Blinking suspiciously at Naoko (Terada-sensei knew I wasn't too bright when it came to equations), sensei turned back to the board with a hesitant "That's right Kinomoto-san…"

"Thanks Naoko-chan! I owe you one." I whispered as I eased myself back into my seat, grinning at the back of her head.

"Don't mention it Sakura-chan; it's repayment for when you helped me out during Gym!" Naoko replied, talking out of the corner of her mouth while keeping her bespectacled eyes turned to the front of the classroom. Unlike me, Naoko was horrible at gym, failing to do even the easiest handstand. I had helped her train for our upcoming Gym test, and she had sworn she would repay me.

"Thanks anyway!" I whispered back. A slight cough from my bag caused me to redden. Looks like Kero knows about my horrid math skills now. I wonder if he'd be any good as a tutor…

When Tomoyo turned towards me and raised her eyebrows, I blushed even more. Looks like Tomoyo had heard the cough. Would it be alright for me to tell her about my situation without Kero's consent? He had, after all, told me to keep this whole mess secret. Rubbing my head, I tried to sort out my jumbled thoughts. I could ask Kero for permission, but he was at home- never mind, he was right there in my bag.

Mentally slapping myself, I "accidentally" dropped a pencil and leaned down to pick it up while whispering into my bag.

"Is is okay for me to tell Tomoyo-chan? I'd trust her with my life and she can keep a secret." Straightening up, pencil in hand, I was comforted in my decision when I noticed a little yellow paw sticking out of the bag in the universal "OK" sign. Breathing a sigh of relief, I tuned in to class just in time to hear the announcements.

"Class will end in about two minutes, and then you'll be free for the rest of the day! Just a quick heads-up; there will be a test on what we've been doing all week on Friday. Make sure to study up; that means you Ryazuka-san!" While a light-brown haired boy in the front of the class flicked his hand at the teacher, the rest of the class giggled. I'm thankful Terada-sensei didn't pick on me! I guess he already had earlier, in a way. I paid attention again as he continued to speak, "Another announcement; there will be a new transfer student from Hong Kong joining us on Monday. That's all." As soon as Terada-sensei had stopped talking the bell rang, and students rushed out of their seats to the door. After the students followed Terada-sensei, waving at me and the other student left in the classroom. Resigning myself to my fate, I turned towards a narrow-eyed Tomoyo.

"Sakura-chan, tell me what's going on. You weren't acting this strange last Friday. Spill the beans already!" Tomoyo demanded, leaning in towards me in her excitement.

"Hold on Tomoyo-chan! I'm still not actually sure what's going on myself. I sorta get what's happening, but I wouldn't be very good at explaining. Instead, I'd like you to meet Kero-chan! He'll tell you everything." Pulling the tiny guardian beast in discussion out, I showed the winged creature to Tomoyo while passing on the burden of Tomoyo's questions to him. For this he gave me a little scowl, and then Tomoyo got to him.

"Aw, he's so kawaii!" Tomoyo cried, drawing the startled Kero into a crushing hug, "What is he?"

"I'll let him do the explaining, like I mentioned earlier." I said, and I left Kero to Tomoyo's interrogation. Explaining everything to Tomoyo might help me to clarify it, but it's more likely I'd just further confuse myself. I get confused sorta easily. Pulling out my cards, I flipped through them until I found the card I had been examining the most this morning. Removing it from the pile, I stared at it with eyes half-shut. It was called "The Fly," and on it was a picture of a great white bird-creature with stunning sapphire eyes. Its wings curved around it in a sweeping stance, and it seemed to peer inquisitively out at me.

_Could this card really grant you the power of flight?_ I pondered, fingering the card in my hand. However, when I had tried using it earlier, nothing had happened. It seems, and Kero had confirmed when I had talked to him about it, that if I wanted to use the Clow Cards I'd first have to turn them into Sakura Cards, like I had done with Windy. Kero had advised against turning the cards without reason, as it would wear me out (like it had this early morning – I was surprised I had been able to wake up at all, but then again I had always been a deep sleeper) and leave me unable to protect myself if an enemy came. And there would apparently be many enemies, both people and _things_ seeking the cards and the Book, plus other spirits that Clow Reed hadn't captured. I wasn't really looking forward to encountering any of these, but I had technically agreed to the dangers of the job when I had unlocked the book and unknowingly gained myself the position of Cardmistress. Even if I had never agreed to actually guarding the book in the first place. Otou-san always told me to make sure I read the fine print and know what I was getting myself into. Too bad there hadn't been any fine print on the map, book, or key.

As if on cue, Tomoyo commented, "Wow Sakura-chan! You're a Cardmistress now? Hey, what are those you're holding? Are those your cards? SO COOL! Let me see! Wait, I'll get my video-camera. Strike a pose for me! Can you get your rod out too? Oh, and use your magic symbol thing!" Tomoyo had gone into full-on director mode, and I was her actress and model.

"Um, Tomoyo-chan?" I asked, drawing out my star necklace, "You're not going to show this to anyone, right? I mean, I kinda need to keep the Clow Cards, The Book of Clow, and the fact that I'm the magical Cardmistress a secret. Only you, Kero-chan, and I know about it. I'd prefer to keep it that way. Think about how many weird looks and requests I'd get if everyone knew!"

"Yes, yes, I already knew that. This video, and the one's I'll take later when you get yourself into situations in which you can transform more cards – make sure you call me by the way, you already know my cell number – are for you, so you can remember everything! Oh, this is so exciting! Just think of all the awesome battle costumes I could make you!" Tomoyo was beginning to get a faraway look in her eyes, and I took that as a bad sign.

To snap Tomoyo out of her design and video fantasies, I quickly took a wide stance and called out to my friend. "I'm ready when you are!" When Tomoyo gave me the high-sign, I threw my star key up into the air like a miniature version of one of the batons I used for cheer practice. Spinning around in wide circles, my key elongated into the pink star rod that I could use to call forth the spirits in the cards. Catching the staff with one hand, I used the other to bring forth The Windy card. As the magic circle appeared beneath my feet, I summoned Windy out, and had her do a few twirls for the camera. My madly flailing skirt calmed down as I drew Windy back into her card and the golden symbol beneath my feet faded. With the wind gone, I turned my staff back into a key and flashed a brilliant white-toothed smile at the camera. I hope Tomoyo had gotten the footage she needed, because I didn't really want to do that again. I was feeling a bit worn as well.

"Cut! That was so, so cool Sakura-chan! Maybe I should start calling you Sakura-sama!" Tomoyo gushed, lowering her video camera from her eye and staring admiringly at me.

"Thanks Tomoyo-chan, but I prefer Sakura-chan. I told Kero the same thing." Yawning, I staggered a bit as I made my way over to one of the desks. When Tomoyo hurried over to help me, I thanked her and continued, "I'm just a bit tired right now, which is an improvement over last time. This morning, when the whole Cardmistress thing started, I fainted from using and transforming Windy to save myself." I excused myself to sit on one of the desks, my feet swinging beneath me. Hovering around me, Tomoyo leant me the use of her water bottle. Just when I was starting to feel thirsty, too! Tomoyo really is one heck of a best friend.

"That's because you're learning how to use, manage, and access your magic." Kero commented on my sleepiness from where he was sitting Indian-style in midair, his arms crossed over his small chest. I'm guessing he was trying to look scholarly. Nodding wisely, Kero unfolded himself and flew over to me, giving me a congratulatory pat on the back.

Nervously rubbing the back of my head, I looked down at my toes. I was sure my face was cycling through a hundred shades of red right now. Was it really so amazing that I had summoned a magical spirit from a card? Looking back on that sentence, I realized just how fantastical that sounded. I guess it was.

"We should probably be getting back to your house." Kero told me, "I think it'd be best to be there when your otou-san gets home. Your onii-chan is away at college, but you told me he's supposed to be visiting later tonight and staying until Sunday, so we have to get home before him as well. From what you've told me, it sounds like he has a bit of a sister complex, and I think it'd be best if he saw you were at the house when he returned home. Bye, Tomoyo-chan. It was nice ta meecha!" Kero commented, dragging me out of the room by the shoulder strap of my bag. Waving helplessly at Tomoyo, I let myself be pulled away.

"Just remember to always be alert. You never know when one of the enemies or spirits will come around. Better safe than sorry; I wouldn't want to lose my Mistress so early into her career!" Kero tried to sound cheerful, but I still shivered at the meaning of his words. Keep an eye out, check. In fact, I'd be keeping two eyes out! No way was anything harmful going to catch me off guard.

Of course, three seconds after I resolved to keep a look out, I ran into the door of the school. Rubbing my head, I headed back home, Kero riding in my bag, unable to fly because he was laughing too hard.


	5. Of Kidnappers and IceCream

Grumbling, I plunged my hands into the sparkling white suds, sponge scrubbing furiously at a particularly stubborn plate. Dishes were not one of my favorite things to do, but I'd put up with them for now, especially since it meant Touya would be indebted to me. Grinning mischievously, I remembered the trade I had made with onii-chan after I had returned home from school this Tuesday afternoon:

"_Kaiju-chan!" Touya yelled, stomping down the stairs, "I need you to do something of great importance for me. It will make you the most famous kaiju-chan in history!" _

"_I'm not going to do anything for a mean, baka onii-chan!" I huffed, stomping over to Touya and squishing his foot. I had a pet peeve about being called a kaiju, and whenever Touya used that, his favorite pet name for me, I made sure to let him know how I felt about it by taking my anger out on his foot. Call me childish, but it worked. For a little while, at least. Some things never changed, and Touya's annoying nickname for me was one of them. You'd think that at a college age he would've picked up how I disliked the name, but no! I think he called me that just to spite me._

"_Ow, Sakura! There, happy? I didn't call you a kaiju when you so richly deserved…" Touya trailed off as he saw the menacing look in my green eyes, daring him to say the "K" word one more time. "Anyway, would you trade chores with me tonight? I have a last-minute soccer practice that I have to attend, and it'll be running late. I already promised Yukito that I'd be there, and it would be sorta redundant if I didn't show up to a practice that he, as team captain, had called when I'm the one who half-forced him to join the team! Please ka – Sakura-chan?"_

_Nodding in satisfaction at Touya's hurried correction and slight begging, I replied "Okay, I'll trade, but what do I get out of it?" There was no way Touya was going to get off this easy, especially since he had dumped this on me last-minute. In a way though, it was for Yukito as well. Yukito was like another older, nicer onii-chan to me. In my later elementary school years, I did have a slight (okay, huge) crush on him, but as I grew older I had recognized the feeling as the one I had for her otou-san and onii-chan; a family type of love. Thus, I was still waiting for the one who would capture my heart and hold it with his own. That sounded incredibly cheesy, but it was true. I hadn't really dated anyone yet, though many had approached me. I tried to turn them down in the nicest way possible._

"_Do I have to Sakura-chan? I'm sorta in a hurry right now!" Touya eyed the door, his voice slightly whiny. His soccer cleats were slung over one shoulder and his soccer bag over the other. Firmly planting myself in front of the door, I squared my shoulders and placed my fisted hands on my hips, staring steadily at Touya and hoping that my stance would somehow give me the impression of height, which I sorely lacked. I think I had grown about three inches since I was in fifth grade. In other words, I'm a bit on the short side, a fact that Touya like to enunciate on._

_Groaning, Touya conceded, "Okay, okay, I'll take over your chores for whatever three days you want. Happy? Now move!"Pushing past his me (his strength greatly outdid mine, even when he was sick or tired), Touya stormed out the front door, in a dark mood after being wheedled by me into giving up three of his chore-free days. Grinning happily to myself, I began to prepare dinner for otou-san and myself all the while humming a cheerful tune I had learned to play on the piano. (Although I said I only played drums earlier, it's not entirely true. When I was three, okaa-san was trying to teach me to play the piano that sat in our parlor. After she passed away, Touya taught me for a bit, until he grew too busy to continue giving me lessons.) Kero, of course, had been hiding when Touya had come downstairs, but now he hovered around me, taste-testing everything and praising my cooking skills. (Another of my favorite classes was Home-Ec, or at least the cooking part of it!)When dinner was prepared, Kero flew away to hide as I called otou-san down from his lair – his home-office where he spent most of his time while at the house – to eat. After dinner, otou-san retreated back to his study; he was really into his work and excited at a possible breakthrough in the field he was reaching in archeology. I swear, if Touya or I didn't force him to eat and sleep, he could very well spend days working on something and wear himself out to the point where he would collapse of exhaustion. It had happened before. That left me to do the dishes._

Rinsing the soap of my hands, I proceeded to dry the dishes off. It would've been easier to load them into the dishwater, but the dishwater had just been turned on with all the dishes in it from breakfast and the days before. Even though I had reminded otou-san countless times that morning to run the dishwasher before dinner, he still forgot. He had probably been so wrapped up in his work he had forgotten everything else altogether! Work can consume him, sometimes.

_And they say my okaa-san was the ditzy one!_ I shook my head and glanced over at that day's photo of my okaa-san, Nadeshiko. Only 3 when okaa-san had died, I learned all about her through stories told by otou-san, onii-chan, and Aunt Sonomi; Tomoyo's okaa-san (Tomoyo and I are second cousins). The pictures that otou-san never failed to mount on the side table in the kitchen provided me with an image to fit the descriptions of character given to me. Every morning, a different picture would be mounted. Otou-san had thousands, as Nadeshiko had been a model when she had lived. Though I had inherited okaa-san's natural beauty, I tended to ignore it and the drooling boys that would follow her with their eyes. That was probably one of the reasons I tended to hide my figure beneath tee-shirts and basketball shorts, jeans at best, when I wasn't required to wear the mandatory school outfit of a button-up shirt and a skirt. I just felt uncomfortable with guys looking at me like that, like I was on display. Skirts were okay, but I made sure to always have a pair of shorts on underneath, in case I was called up to the front of the gym class to demonstrate a flip (which happened on numerous occasions, being the best student in gym that I was).

Finally finished with the dishes, I dried off my hands with a towel and examined my work with a critical eye. All the dishes were sparkling and put back into their correct cabinets. Even though the job hadn't been one I had particularly enjoyed, the feeling of finality afterwards was worth it. It felt good to finish a job, all the better if the job was well done.

"Kero-chan," I called to the yellow creature that had come hovering through the kitchen door to no doubt look for his dinner, "Do you know if there was a Clow Card that I could've used to make the job easier?" Turning to my tiny, self-proclaimed guardian, I was dismayed to find him shaking his head vehemently, even though it would've been too late to use the card anyways.

"No way are you using the magic of a Clow Card to do something as trivial as wash the dishes. It's irresponsible and it would use up your energy to quickly for something so unimportant. Besides, do you even know **how** to change the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards?" When I reluctantly shook my head no, he smirked, "I thought so. However, in the future you could use, say, Sweet to make a batch of delicious brownies! And of course share them with me, your faithful guardian beast! Oh, and I suppose if you were ever in a rush to clean something, you could always use The Bubble." Kero added, mumbling the last sentence while looking hopefully at me while trying to discreetly wipe the drool from his face. Who was the irresponsible one now?

Now it was my turn to shake my head, "You're hopeless, especially when it comes to your stomach. I'm going to go see if The Book of Clow has any information in it that could help. I want to see how I can transform Bubble and ask her to help me with the chores." My way of thinking might be a bit selfish, but I did **not **like doing dishes, or any type of chores for that matter. I'd do them, but I didn't have to enjoy them! (I used that same motto for homework.) Turning around, I almost missed Kero's shrug, but I did notice when he landed on my head for the trek up the stairs.

"You have wings, don't you? Why don't you use them?" I remarked. Free-riders irked me, unless they had a very good cause for free-riding. Unfortunately, Kero did not.

"Yeah, but my wings're _tired_. I'm just gonna sit up here for a while." Kero returned, and snuggled up to my head. Rolling my eyes for the second time in less than a minute, I was secretly pleased at Kero's actions. I was touched that he cared about me and my energy levels (even if he did ruin the touching bits by hinting at ways I could use the cards to his advantage), and trusted me enough to sit on my head (although it was a bit than a trust-fall, I do admit, and a somewhat awkward postition).

At the top of the stairs I gently moved Kero to my shoulder, a more comfortable position, and headed into my room. Bringing out the Book, I flipped it open with Kero peering over my shoulder. Instead of the cover being turned instantly to the hollowed out space in which the Clow Cards (and now Sakura Cards) could be placed, there actually pages in the Book. On the side that faced me there was a list of all the Clow Cards. The Windy was missing from the list of cards. Flipping the Page over, I noticed the title, "SAKURA CARDS," right away.

_I guess the name Kero-chan picked stuck._ I wasn't too thrilled about the name given to the new, pink cards created through my own magic, but I could live with it. Underneath the title the name "The Windy" listed underneath. The rest of the page looked discomfortingly blank. On a different page, next to what I assumed to be the index page, was another page titled "The Windy." Beneath that and placed to the right was a picture of the card named. To the left of the image, a description of the card and its abilities was inserted.

"Cool!" Kero commented right into my ear, loudly might I add. When he saw me wince, he lowered his voice, "Sorry about that, I forgot where I was. I think this is a glossary of the cards. When you turn them into Sakura Cards, they'll be put into the Book with details about the card transformed. Since it's a magical book, it will automatically react to any changes in the cards like it did with Windy. I never knew this could happen. Lemme say this, you are one talented Cardmistress!" Kero chuckled, and floated up a couple inches to pat my head before drifting back down to his spot on my shoulder, like some type of pet parrot. The thought of Kero squawking for crackers actually wasn't too far off from the real thing, though the real thing asked for pudding. Why, Kero even had the wings to boot!

Frowning, I said, "I didn't do anything, though."

"No, _you___didn't, but your magic did. You must have some pretty strong inner magic! Enough magic to fuel a star, most likely." Kero praised me, looking at me the way a parent would at look their honors student. Ducking my head in embarrassment, I waved away his praise while pretending to examine the page. There was no way I could have the power of a star inside me. Surely I would've noticed it by now? Some sort of feeling, or an unexplainable warmth inside my chest. Unless it had been buried deep within me…

_Well, whatever the case I have it now, and I better learn how to use it! No telling what's going to be coming after me in the future._ Control was important, or at least that was what Kero had enunciated over and over this morning. Could I tell that I had magic though? Frowning, I turned my focus inside of me. When I concentrated, I could feel a warm, pink light resting in the spot I would imagine my soul to be; in the cavity opposite my heart. Yes, I felt the color pink. It's magic, it's not supposed to make sense.

Wrenched from my thoughts by the harsh ringing of a telephone, I rushed downstairs to grab the phone while calling to otou-san "I got it!" I doubt he had heard me, or even the ringing of the phone; that's how concentrated he was.

Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was Tomoyo and immediately picked up the phone while speaking a greeting.

"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo sounded normal enough on the outside but I, being the observant and caring best friend that I was, picked up the slight stutter before the "S" in my name.

"Tomoyo? What's wrong? Where are you?" I asked worriedly, clutching the phone to my ear. Something wasn't right. Tomoyo always had perfect articulation, it was one of the additional benefits that came with her being a singer.

Fake giggles came from the other end of the line, "Nothing, silly! I just had a sudden inspiration for an outfit, and I need you to come over here so I can measure you, and sketch the clothing! I can't wait for another minute. Meet me inside the ice cream parlor downtown. I'll buy us a sundae while I fix you up something cute to where while card capturing!" Tomoyo hung up quickly without saying goodbye, and I knew that something wasn't just bothering Tomoyo; something was _scaring_ her. Even Tomoyo's excuse was horrible; sure she wouldn't hesitate to call me out to look at a costume, but she never needed a new set of measurements from me. She had measured me so much, she ought to have them memorized by now, even with the continual growing my body was doing. In addition, Tomoyo was one of the sweetest girls I knew, and she wouldn't hang up suddenly without some sort of explanation or hurried goodbye.

Rushing upstairs, I knocked softly on the door to otou-san's office. "Otou-san? I'm going out for dessert with Tomoyo; I'm meeting her at the ice cream café downtown." When I received only a hardly discernable grunt of acknowledgement in return I knew he'd be up until all hours of the morning concentrated on his work; in other words, he'd hardly notice my absence. With a quick stop at my room to grab my denim purse-pack (a mixture of a purse and a backpack) and stuff it with the Book, cards, and a protesting Kero (something told me I would need all three), I was out skating on my rollerblades to the café as fast as I could.

Upon my arrival, I noticed a dark-clothed man standing outside Lixs' Ice Cream Café. He looked like one of Tomoyo's multiple bodyguards, except for the fact that he was male. Mrs. Daidouji had only ever hired woman to be her daughter's bodyguards. Wondering if he had something to do with the reason Tomoyo had called, I (for the time being) ignored him and smiled and waved as I noticed the person in question through the glass. Taking off my rollerblades and holding them by their straps, I went inside.

The bell over the door tinkled as I entered the shop. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the man's head turn slightly in my direction. I could guess that his eyes, hidden behind his dark shades, were following my every move as I approached and sat beside the too-still Tomoyo. As promised, there was a giant fudge-brownie sundae on the table in front of her with two spoons stuck into the giant crown of whipped cream. The cherry was still on top of the mound, another sign that Tomoyo wasn't okay. She knew me well enough to know I wouldn't care if she ate the cherry or not, and she always snatched it up as soon as the sundae came to her. It was one of her few quirks, yet the cherry still rested at the top of the sundae, untouched and leaking red juice on the creamy white-ness of the whipped cream.

"Okay Tomoyo, what's going on? I know you didn't call me out here to take measurements; you already have them and besides, you took extras last weekend. Does it have something to do with the dark-clothed man outside? He doesn't look like one of your usual bodyguards." I stared straight into Tomoyo's purple eyes and I was surprised to find they were somewhat moist. That was wrong; Tomoyo **never** cried. This must be serious. Biting the inside of my cheek (an unbreakable nervous habit of mine), I looked at my best friend with worried eyes.

"Thanks for coming, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo's movements and voice were cheery, but her hand shook slightly as she handed me a spoon and the cheerfulness in her voice sounded forced. Filling it with ice-cream and sticking it in my mouth, I peered at Tomoyo through squinting eyes, gesturing for her to get on with it. She just blinked, and continued to smile dumbly at me.

"You're right as usual; that guy isn't my normal bodyguard. Okaa-san took them along with her own and the others on a mini-vacation. She had to go to China for a business trip, and she decided it'd be a nice vacation for them. Of course, she left behind all the maids and such, and she hired me a temporary bodyguard. He's a replacement, but I don't think he's going to guard me." At this point, Tomoyo's voice cracked, and she forced a laugh, as if something she had said was funny. Playing along, I laughed too, and patted Tomoyo on the shoulder while taking another bite of ice-cream and waving my spoon at her to get her to keep talking. She was almost to the reason for her nervousness, and I was dying to know what was frightening her. Whatever it was had something nasty coming its way, courtesy of Sakura Kinomoto. Tomoyo opened her mouth again, and continued in a low voice, all the while smiling cheerfully as if she was simply spilling the latest gossip. All the while I felt the eyes of the creepy bodyguard on us.

"I overheard him, the bodyguard, talking on the phone earlier and saying things like 'bind her with a good rope' and 'make a fortune with the ransom.' I'm really scared Sakura-chan. I didn't know who else to call but you. Please, act normal. I don't want to alert him." Smiling pleasantly, Tomoyo took a spoon of ice-cream for herself. I took a second to collect myself after the startling information Tomoyo had told me, and then gave another forced laugh, as if Tomoyo had just told me something funny, and shoved a bit of brownie and ice-cream in my mouth to cover-up. Thinking for a bit as we slowly whittled away at the ice-cream, Tomoyo's foot tapping irregularly on the table stand (a nervous habit of hers), I came up with a plan.

"Tomoyo, I know how to get you back safe, and not have that guy ever bother you again. We'll use the Clow Cards. First…" I leaned over and whispered something in Tomoyo's ear then drew back and smiled at her. Tomoyo gave a true laugh, and smiled genuinely back. I felt a bit proud of myself for being able to get her to cheer up. Getting up and dumping our ice-cream bowl in the bin marked "Dirty Dishes," we headed over to the bathroom to "freshen up," as Tomoyo told her supposed body guard (so as not to alarm him).

Once inside the single bathroom I made sure the door was locked, and turned to Tomoyo, "Ready?"

"Thanks again, so, so much Sakura! I was really frightened of that man." Tomoyo replied, and in the privacy of the bathroom and her best friend, she allowed her voice to quiver. Giving no answer but a tight hug, I stepped back and brought out my key. As it expanded into a rod, I brought out the Mirror card. The figure on the card was that of a young woman, her eyes closed and her long hair cascading down in two front-ponytails to her waist. A blue mirror glinted on her forehead. In her arms was a larger, silver mirror.

"Mirror! Make a copy of Tomoyo." I commanded, transforming the Clow Card into a Sakura Card instinctively, and the girl who had been clutching the mirror leapt out of the card and appeared before us in a large, ornate mirror. A mist shrouded the glass, and then and exact replica of Tomoyo stood before us. The Mirror card was nowhere in sight.

"So cool." Tomoyo breathed, as she touched palms with her mirror-self. Mirror-Tomoyo smiled at the real Tomoyo as I told her what to do. Real-Tomoyo gulped, and gave her mirror-self a hug, before retreating to the corner of the bathroom. Opening the bathroom door, I indicated mirror-Tomoyo to follow me. Nodding, mirror-Tomoyo followed me and we headed out to where the so-called "bodyguard" was waiting. Together, we began to head back to the intersection where I would split from Tomoyo to make my way home. Overhead, the sun was beginning to dip beneath the trees.

After a couple of seconds I exclaimed, "Shoot! I forgot my rollerblades back at the café. Tomoyo, I'll see you tomorrow at school. It was nice having dessert and talking with you!" I hurried back to the café, and entered into the bathroom where the real Tomoyo was patiently, if a bit nervously, waiting. I had purposely left my rollerblades at the café as an excuse to head back. They were waiting for me at the table Tomoyo and I had eaten at.

"The decoy is in place, now we just have to follow them and wait for the guy to make his move." I smiled at Tomoyo, and took and squeezed her hand. All Tomoyo could do was mouth "Thank you," while I dragged her out and we began tailing the man and the faux-Tomoyo.

"This way, Tomoyo-sama. I know a shortcut, and it'd be best for us to be back at your manor before the sun has set. We wouldn't want the maids to worry, would we?" The man said, a large predatory grin splitting his face. His voice was deep and slow though his sentences were some-what choppy. Mirror-Tomoyo gave the man a look that held just the right amount of confusion before her gaze settled and she nodded slowly. I praised Mirror for being such a realistic actress. Guiding the Mirror-Tomoyo into a path through a wooded area, the man glanced around quickly before following.

"That's totally not suspicious." I whispered to Tomoyo, and she nodded in agreement, smiling a bit. Following them into the woods, I drew my next card out. Holding my staff in both of my hands, like you would hold a club, I placed the card between my teeth, trying not to get any saliva on it. Even though they were magical cards, I didn't want to take the risk of ruining them. Plus, it'd be really rude to drool on somebody, and I'm sure the spirit inside the card would feel the same. Sneaking up on the man, I gestured to Tomoyo. Reading the signs I was giving her, the violet-eyed girl brought out her video camera and began taping the man, who was now walking up to the stand-in Tomoyo with a wet cloth in his hand.

Bringing the cloth around Mirror-Tomoyo's nose and mouth, he held it steady while her eyes widened and her body began to thrash around, trying to remove the suffocating cloth from around her nose and mouth. Even from where I was positioned, I could smell the sickly-sweet fumes emitting from the cloth, and I began to feel a bit drowsy.

The man whispered in his captive's ear, "Sorry, sweetheart, but the money you're going to get me from your dear okaa_-san_ is too much for me to resist. Your ransom's going to bring in pretty bit of yen!" Finally Mirror-Tomoyo stopped struggling, and lay limp in the man's arms. Taking the chance while the man was gloating over his easy victory, I crept up stealthily behind him.

"Sorry,_ sweetheart_." I hissed in the man's ear as I brought my staff down, hard, on his balding head. When the man was fully unconscious, I drew my next card out from between my teeth. Bringing it up to eye-level, I stared at the Create as it transformed into a Sakura Card. The picture on it was that of a bound book, a blue star decorating its cover.

"Create!" I cried softly, "Make a strong rope with which to bind this horrible man." After the bindings were tightened on the fake bodyguard, Tomoyo drew out her cell phone and made an anonymous call to the police, leaving the man and the video tape at the location she had described. There was no way we were going to let him go free. Let's see him try to talk himself out of prison when faced with the video Tomoyo had taken of him. I just hoped the police wouldn't investigate too much into who had left the video.

"C'mon Tomoyo, let's get out of here." I said turning to my friend and walking a few steps before swaying and slumping up against a tree.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo called, rushing up to me and supporting my limp body. Barely awake, I gave a slight groan.

"It's okay; she's just out of energy after transforming two Clow Cards within the same hour. Let her rest a bit and she'll be good as new. It happened at school today as well, just not this extremely." Kero, unnoticed and forgotten in my purse-pack up until now, told the frantic Tomoyo.

Supporting me, Tomoyo dialed her private chauffeur (yes, she had her own driver) and transported both of us back to Tomoyo's mansion, where Tomoyo placed me on her bed to rest. I was still half awake, but I couldn't grasp the situation I was in. Giving a slight groan, I fell asleep.

Waking up in Tomoyo's room was no surprise to me, as I had woken up there many times before and was almost as familiar with the room as my own.

"I overdid it with the cards, huh?" I mumbled, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and glancing at the clock. 8:47. Still time to get home before Touya arrived, and save myself from an interrogation.

"Maybe, but your overdoing saved me from being kidnapped!" Tomoyo reprimanded, sticking her hands on her hips as she placed a glass of water next to me. Thirstily, I gulped it down in about two seconds.

"Then it's well worth it!" I smiled at my best friend, and again embraced her. Stretching, I stood up and began gathering my stuff up. Kero reluctantly flew over to where I was waiting, my bag open, for him. He had been getting acquainted with the various cookies and treats Tomoyo's maids had brought up.

When Tomoyo looked at me questioningly, I answered "I have to be getting home before Touya does; you know how he gets!" Grabbing my bag, I started heading for the door.

"At least let me drive you! You did just wake up." Tomoyo insisted, following after me as I trudged down her grand spiral staircase.

Waving her off, I replied, "Stay here; I don't know if that guy had any partners looking for you or him to show up. Plus, the fresh air will do me good; wake me up a bit so I don't seem too suspicious to Touya onii-chan! I'll see you tomorrow at school. Sweet dreams." With one farewell wave, I took off back to my home, toting Kero along in my bag with her. Even though the Clow Cards could end up being a burden sometimes, plus the fact that they had been thrust upon me with a no-refund policy, they had their uses. Anything that could save my best friend from a kidnapping scored pretty high in my book.


	6. Sword and Shield

_Skipping is much more fun than walking!_ I decided as I skipped home from school on the best day of the whole school week: Friday. For once, I had opted not to wear my rollerblades and had gotten Touya to drive me to school on his motorcycle. (I had hounded him about his owing me for the dishes I'd cleaned last night and, with threats of bringing up the matter to otou-san, Touya had reluctantly agreed.) Needless to say, I had been breathless and dizzy by the time I'd arrived to school that morning. Touya had also been breathless, but that was probably because I had squeezed him so tight, his windpipe had been constricted. Because of this, I was banned from the motorcycle for all eternity, which was quite alright with me. After that wild ride, I vowed I would always rollerblade to school from now on. Or until I got my driver's license and hounded otou-san into buying me my own car.

I was thankful that, for once, school had been boring and ordinary. Usually, I was dying for something exciting or new to happen, but ever since I discovered the world of Clow, normal had been edited out of my dictionary. Boring as it may be, as long as nothing supernatural showed up during school, I was fine with dreary lessons, even Math (even if I did fall asleep every other day).

Nothing seemed to be wrong with Tomoyo as well, which I was grateful for. After last night, I had been worried for my friend, but Tomoyo was as calm and kind as always, even laughing at Takashi's extravagant lies and Chiharu's discipline of him for it. (I've always been gullible; to this day, Takashi could slip untruths past me and I would be none the wiser, much to the amusement of Rika and Naoko – Chiharu was tired of Takashi's lies, period, and let him know it by pulling him away by the ear whenever he started to speak nonsense.) Thankfully it seemed Tomoyo had, if not forgotten, completely shoved the attempted kidnapping of last night to the back of her mind, where she wouldn't let it ruin her good natured self. Still, I was going to keep an eye on her for the next couple of days, just in case. With the Clow Cards on my side, I was confident in my abilities to protect my friend from that creepy "bodyguard." Hopefully he was stuck behind bars right now.

"Hey, Sakura, where are you going? Isn't our turn up ahead?" Kero asked, his small yellow head sticking out from my bag as he surveyed the world passing him by. He had only taken the route home with me one time, yet he had memorized every turn, street name, and block number from it. He may not look it, but Kero could be pretty sharp when he wanted to be. Although I suspected he kept such careful detail of where my house was located because it was the most convenient place to get food, and because I, who lived there, cooked for him.

"Relax, Kero! I'm just going to take a more scenic route through the woods. Don't worry, I won't get lost. I've got the Clow Cards with me in case anything happens. Plus I've got you, my big, strong Guardian Beast!" I sarcastically rubbed the last sentence in Kero's face while giving him a couple pats on his furry head, making fun of his small stature paired with his self-appointed big job.

"Hey, hey! No need to rub it in." Kero pouted sourly, crossing his arms and sinking lower into the bag. Giggling, I continued to skip towards the forest, my schoolbag swinging back and forth by my side.

The forest I was headed to was connected to Penguin Park. In fact, it was the forest that bordered the park, as well as much of Tomoeda. Throughout my childhood, I had tramped through much of it, exploring it in the fashion of elementary students. Naoko had led many ghost-hunting expeditions (Chiharu co-leading them) into its leafy embrace (I had been dragged along unwillingly, clutching Tomoyo the entire time), and Tomoyo had taken me out many times on modeling trips. (It was all about the scenery, as Tomoyo liked to say. Of course, she also said that the model and the clothes were important as well. Actually, to Tomoyo, everything about clothes designing and modeling was important.) Sometimes I would come out with Rika to photograph the wild and plant life found in the forest (Rika loved photography, and she occasionally helped Tomoyo out in photographing me). I had a couple of scrapbooks filled with pictures of supposed "ghosts," shots that Tomoyo had taken of me in her various outfits, and pictures Rika made copies of for me. In other words, it was a forest filled with memories of fun times (well, the ghost hunts weren't exactly my definition of "fun, but they were with friends) and times spent with my best friends.

Entering into the dark green palace, I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh air. Slowing down to a walk, I took in the feeling of the forest, and then paused. Something wasn't right. Instead of putting me at ease, the atmosphere of the forest hyped me up, made me nervous. Continuing on at a brisker pace and debating over whether I should turn back or not, I decided to forgo her gut instinct. I figured I was just nervous from the whole forest-set incident of last night, and my body was warning me against forests of all kinds. Besides, this forest was _good_. What could happen? Brushing invisible spider-webs off myself, I continued on.

The trees seemed darker somehow. The air was still, as if waiting for something big to happen. Not a breeze stirred the needles on the trees. The only sound came from the crunching of dirt and discarded leaves from under my shoes. Puffs of air were visible from my mouth. I hugged myself, in part against the sudden chill in the air and in part because of the sinister feeling the woods were giving off. Even though it was winter, shouldn't _some_ sort of life-form be moving? A squirrel digging up his stores of hidden nuts, or a bird taking to the air, frightened by the sounds I was making. But no, everything was still.

Sticking his head out of the warmth of my bag, Kero commented, "I don't like the feel of this place."

"It isn't usually like this; even now, during winter, there's some sort of life here. When it snows, you can still usually see a bird flitting about, or even a bug flying past. I don't know why it's so dead now." I frowned and looked around. Everything seemed to be waiting, though for what I had no clue. I found myself holding my breath in silent anticipation. Yet nothing, friendly or not, I could see approaching.

"I'm sensing something. I don't know what it is, but I can tell it's not totally friendly. Yet, it seems as if it isn't totally hostile either. It's like… a bad force controlling a good force? But how does that make sense?" Kero puzzled over the riddle he created, scratching his head. I continued to swivel my head back and forth. I was now beginning to regret not turning back when I had the chance.

_Should've known better than to go against my gut saying! Now I might have put Kero-chan and myself in danger._

A tingling began to grow in the back of my mind. It was an odd feeling, one that felt neither pleasant not painful. Instead, it felt like whatever had created the feeling was fighting against itself. It was almost… almost the same feeling that you get when you force two opposing magnets together. Describing it further is impossible. I could sense a warm, green feeling (could you feel a color?) sparring with a darker, sinister force. The green force felt familiar to me, like déjà vu.

"I think I sense something as well. And I get what you mean by two forces with one feeling like it's controlling the other." I commented, and Kero nodded in approval. Every day, my magic seemed to be strengthening in large quantities. Kero had said it "unnerved" him; he hadn't known anyone whose inner reserve of magic was so strong. It made me feel a bit proud and a bit apprehensive of my powers. What if they grew so great, they were beyond my control? What would happen to the cards I'd transformed? Would they be set loose to wreck havoc (whether intentional or not) on the world?

A whooshing sounded in my right ear, disturbing my thoughts. From my left, Kero snapped his head around and looked past me, towards the tree beside me, with wide eyes. Turning my head, I saw that the branch hanging next to me had been completely chopped off. Wooden splinters now jutted out dangerously close to my rosy cheek. Gulping, I began to turn around in slow circles, straining my ears to hear where my mysterious attacker had retreated to.

"Whoever it is wants the Book and cards, don't they?" I nervously asked Kero, my eyes peering out into the perplexing darkness of the woods around. Nodding silently, Kero, too, was keeping watch, with his beady eyes peering out over the top of my schoolbag. For the first time in forever, my forest felt unsafe.

Without warning, the invisible foe struck again. This time they smote my left side, hitting a couple inches above the spot where Kero's head jutted out. After a few seconds I felt a stinging sensation on my left cheek, and raising my hand to it I felt a wetness. Bringing my hand down, I was surprised by the sight that met my eyes. My hand was stained red. Accepting the tissue a solemn Kero handed me, I pressed it to my bleeding cheek and kept on circling, searching for my attacker, wary now.

The forest remained quiet. My enemy was taunting me, gloating at my lack of knowledge. And it was making me angry. Heat flooding into my body at my sudden anger, I continued to glance fiercely around, this time much more jarringly than before. Kero noticed the change in me, but did nothing to try and stop it. My guess is that he thought I'd be better in a fight if my adrenaline was rushing and my blood boiling. He was right.

Suddenly, a rustling sounded in the bushed behind me. Whipping around, I caught a glimpse of metal flashing in the dull afternoon sunlight. The flash flew out of the bushes, and I could make out a sword. A sword that was headed straight for my heart. I didn't even have time to scream.


	7. Sword and Shield, Part 2

A flash illuminated the once-dark woods. Looking up from my crouching position with hands shielding my head and my knees bent I saw an object floating before me, the sword unable to penetrate past it. A pink, bubble-like energy surrounded me, and I guessed it was some sort of force-field protecting me from the sword. Looking more closely at the floating object, I saw it was a ruby-red jewel bordered on one side by a spread, wing-like engraved piece of silver metal drawing to a diamond point near its bottom.

_Almost like a magnificent warrior's helm cresting a jewel face._ I thought, half-dazed from my second close-call in three days. Again the sword stuck, and again the helm-like object held it at bay. The pink force-field crackled and sparkled as the sword continued to attack it, but the force-field would not let the sword pass, the floating helm holding steady.

"Thank god for the Shield." Kero mumbled, climbing up out of the depths of my bag and gazing admirably at the helm, which I took to be the Shield.

"The Shield?" I asked, looking down at Kero.

"Yup, you managed to transform it into a Sakura Card and call it out in time to save us." Kero replied; his gaze locked on the struggle between Shield and sword.

"But I didn't…" I stopped speaking as I noticed the star rod I was now clutching tightly in my right hand, poised upwards as if to strike with.

_When did I summon The Shield and my staff?_ I pondered, staring at the pink staff in my hand in confusion. I was brought back to the events taking place when a crash sounded from the sword hitting Shield with more force than it had put behind its other attacks. The pink screen wavered for a bit before strengthening its defense and I felt as though I had been slugged a hard one in the stomach.

"Not good; Shield is getting weak. It can't hold its barrier up for much longer, and if you keep feeding it your magic to keep it up, then you'll collapse and leave us defenseless. I can't transform yet, or I don't remember how, so we'd be sitting ducks if that happened." Kero fretted, fully emerging from the bag to hover nervously by my shoulder. Eyes widening, I turned my gaze towards the deadly sharp blade of the sword. The sword, a Sword…

An idea forming in my mind, I quickly brought out my cards and started rifling through them, wincing every once in a while as the sword continued to land blows on the weakening Sheild.

"C'mon, c'mon, it's gotta be in here somewhere!" I muttered. My attention was fully fixated on the cards as I shuffled through them, looking for one in particular.

"Sakura, hurry up with your brilliant plan; either Shield or you will collapse in a couple of seconds!" Kero said, shaking a bit in his agitation. Ignoring his comment, I continued to rifle through the cards until the picture of the card I was looking for met my eyes.

Drawing it out, I took a second to admire it. "The Sword" it read in bold letters, and a picture of a fine-bladed sword rested above it, wrapped in chains. Its silver handle bore two wings at its hilt, and had an elegant hold that swooped down to its base. A blue stone was set in its hilt.

_I've always been top of my class in fencing._ I figured, as I stood up straighter and held The Sword card out in front of me. Raising her staff, I threw the card into the air and slammed my staff into it.

"SWORD!" I shouted, and the winds began to pick up in a circular motion around me as my golden insignia appeared beneath my feet. The wind rose to swirl around my staff, obscuring it from view. After the winds dispersed, I found myself holding a slim-bodied sword, a bit like the one I used during gym in fencing. It was perfectly balanced for me, and I could feel the strength emanating from the Sword and into me. Confidence returned to me. Holding out my hand, Shield returned to its card form and gently fell to rest in my palm. Putting it with the rest of my cards, I raised Sword and examined my opponent with a buccaneer's eye.

Nothing that I could see was supporting the sword; it was suspended in midair. Its blade was wicked sharp and thicker than mine, and it looked to be forged from the finest silver. A golden hilt inlaid with a red jewel supported the blade. Beneath the hilt, the black, scale-patterned grip of the sword would've normally been gripped by someone; however this blade had no bearer. A golden ball capped its end. The most distinguishing feature of the sword however was the red string tassel and a pure black orb that hung from it; tied around the end of the hold. The sword seemed very similar to me. I knew - I felt - that the sword itself was not evil, the invisible one wielding it was. Somehow, I had to find a way to free the sword from the one that was commanding it. But how?

Parrying the blow that the sword sent my way, I strangely felt no aftershock. I knew the blow had been a hard one, but my hands were not stinging. Could Sword somehow lessen the impact from blows? Guessing it was a part of the magical properties of Sword, I continued to dodge and parry the seemingly random blows the enemy sword sent my way. My continual avoidance and defensive method was wearing me out, and I knew I had to stop the sword's continual, relentless attack soon. Otherwise, I'd be too tired to lift my Sword up, let along parry blows, and if I couldn't block the blows… Well, I didn't want to think about that.

In an experiment, I tried a few basic stabs at the sword. It avoided all of them easily, having no body controlling it to defend. It swung back around with a stab of its own. Reeling back, I held my left arm to my side. I had received the blow from the unexpected attack, and was bleeding profusely from my arm.

_That does __**not**__ look good._ I though absently, the lack of blood already making my brain fuzzy and the pain numb. I knew I didn't have much time to end the sword's blows, and I had even less energy to do so, magical and otherwise. The sand was trickling, or in this case, the droplets of my blood were falling down from the top of the hourglass.

Still the sword pressed on, causing me to stumble backwards, tripping over tree roots and shrubs. Many times Kero had to rush in and saved me, keeping me from tipping backwards and dragging me away from the sword's bite. I knew it pained him to see me weakening, and I could see him mentally beating himself up over his weak state. Eventually though, I found myself backed up against a tree and Kero, tired out from continually supporting me as I stumbled, couldn't lift me up into the branches and temporarily out of harm's way.

_Looks like my brilliant plan just backfired. Maybe transforming The Sword wasn't such a good idea after all._ I thought, eyeing the enemy sword warily as it leisurely approached, like it knew I had no place to run to, nowhere to hide. The edges of my vision going black, I wildly lashed out at the sword, hoping to do something, anything, to stop its continual approach. My aim was way off, partially due to the recklessness of my blow, partially due to my almost non-existent energy levels, and the blow swung harmlessly over the top of the sword. Waiting for the final stab to come with eyes closed, I tried to be brave in the face of death.

Nothing ever struck. A clank of metal hitting something solid sounded, and I peeked out through my eyelashes. My eyes widened as I saw the sword lying inanimately on the ground. Next to it dark purple, almost black, strings lay scattered around. Their edges were frayed, as if they had been cut through with a sharp object. The strings hadn't been visible a moment earlier. Bending down warily, curiosity giving me some energy, I was reaching out a hand to touch the purple strings when Kero slapped my hand away.

"Don't touch those. I'm pretty sure they're the things that were controlling the sword, a dark magic." Kero cautioned, still holding me hand in two of his own to make extra sure I wouldn't try to touch them again. Taking a second glance at the strings, I could feel a faint dark presence, slowly fading. When I felt the presence completely gone, I reached down a hesitant finger, despite Kero's protesting and pulling on my hand, and poked one of the strings. It disintegrated into ashes.

"Um, Kero-chan?" I said, "You can open your eyes now." The little, yellow bear-creature had been squeezing his eyes tightly shut when I had shown that I was going to touch the string no matter what. Maybe he had feared I would've been vaporized, or something equally horrible. Well, I hadn't been, and now I had more questions than ever. Opening his eyes, Kero looked at the ashes with loathing.

"I told you not to touch it! Though, I suppose it didn't do any harm since you touched it without dying or anything. Next time though, a little more caution would be nice. It _is_ my job to look after you and watch your safety, after all." I laughed bitterly at this.

"Caution? Safety? I almost died because of a possessed, puppet sword, and you're telling be to be cautious and to watch my safety?" I stopped my rant as I noticed two of the words I had said, and I repeated them, "Puppet… sword?"

Kero looked up at me in confusion. Shaking my head, I waved away his unasked questions. Puppet… If I remembered right, there had been a puppet in my nightmares, and one specific on in my nightmare I'd had a few nights ago. Could this be just a coincidence?

_If it had been last week, I would've dismissed the fact that I could have prophetic dreams. Actually, if it was a few days ago, I wouldn't have believed that I'd get wrapped up in some power-battle over a book and a deck of cards! Times change, I guess._

The fact that a puppet-sword had attacked me scared me. As in, it _really_ scared me. More, even, than ghosts and other spirits scared me, which was quite a lot. Just because I defeated the sword, it didn't mean that whoever had sent the sword was defeated. The one pulling the strings was still out there, and I had no clue where they were, or even who (or what) they were. This was just a bit unnerving.

When Kero continued to stare worriedly at me, she patted his head and stated "It's nothing-"

Once again, I found myself slumped up against a tree and out of energy. Frowning, I glared down at my weak body. Why did I have to half-faint whenever I used a bit of magic? It wasn't fair!

Thinking back, I reprimanded herself. In reality, it had been more than a "bit" of magic I had used. First I had transformed and held Shield through the swords blows, then I had transformed Sword and wielded it. I had the feeling I was forgetting about something big, though…

_I guess I can see why I'd be a bit drained…_

"Kero-chan," Turning to the worried guardian beast, I stated, 'You're acting like a mother hen - flocking around me without really helping. Could you call Tomoyo-chan and ask her to pick me up? I'm afraid I can't really move all that well, let alone make it home. If my family saw me dragging myself to the door, they would freak."

"Got it." Kero replied glancing quickly at me before floating over to my bag. After a few second of digging, he emerged victorious, my cell-phone in his hand, but he quickly stopped grinning when he caught a glimpse of me.

"Oh my god Sakura-chan! Your arm!" Kero cried, dropping my phone and quickly rushing over to me. I glanced down, and was surprised to find the sleeve of my jacket was torn and soaked through with red.

"When did that happen?" I slurred, poking the wound and wincing when the action jostled my arm. Oh right, that darn sword had clipped me, apparently deeper than I had first though. Thinking of the sword caused me to look where it had laid, only to find it was gone; the only evidence of it having ever existed were the cut on my arm, the slashed trees and foliage, and the small piles of ash.

"Kero-chan, do you know-"

"Hush! You're injured and weak and shouldn't be wasting energy on trivial things like talking." Kero butted in, placing a paw over my mouth to shush me.

Rolling my eyes, I thought, _It's not like I'm dying or anything. Kero-chan really __**is**__ over protective!_ But in a way, that endeared him even more to me, and I smiled softly about him as he muttered about finding a bandage for me, rummaging through my bag to look for something to stop the bleeding with. Eventually he gave up, and turned to the my school jacket.

Tearing a bit of the hem of my jacket with his mouth and speed-dialing Tomoyo with one hand, Kero temporarily bandaged me up with one hand while explaining to Tomoyo what had happened. I never knew Kero was so good at multitasking! A couple minutes later Tomoyo came tearing through the forest and up to us with a first-aid kit in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Tomoyo must have some fast chauffeurs!

"Oh my gosh, Sakura-chan! Are you okay?" Tomoyo asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I'll live." I replied as Tomoyo began cleaning my wound, stripping off the fabric Kero had put on to stop the bleeding and wrapping a clean bandage around the long cut. I flashed Tomoyo a small smile to let her know I was okay, or as okay as I could be given the circumstances. As Tomoyo finished bandaging her wound, she let out an exasperated sigh.

"I do wish I had been here so I could've video-taped Sakura's wondrous battle against the evil puppet-sword, and so I could've gotten her medical attention immediately afterwards. I had just finished an outfit for you, too!" Tomoyo sighed again and smiled at me while heaving me up to her feet. Rolling her eyes at Tomoyo's obsessive costume-making and video-taping, I allowed myself to be supported all the way back to Tomoyo's car. I knew Tomoyo was talking about her obvious addiction to dress-making and video-taking to take my mind of my hurt arm and to get me to smile, and I was grateful to her for doing so.

In Tomoyo's cushy limo-car, I called my otou-san and let him know that I would be spending the night at Tomoyo's. Otou-san okay-ed it, and I was free to go. He knew I was frequently spending nights, school or no, at Tomoyo's. In fact, I was there so often she even had a set of (home-made) clothes for me. I hoped she'd have an extra uniform for me, as I had torn, dirtied, and even bloodied the one I was wearing right now. Though if she didn't, she could no doubt make me an exact replica. In fact, she'd probably do it just for fun!

My world may be shifting, but it comforted me to know that some things, like Tomoyo's weird obsessions and continual support, would never change.


	8. Conditioning

"Are you sure you'll be okay Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, worry evident in her voice as she hefted her bag over one slim shoulder. It was an early Friday morning, and Tomoyo was off to school. I, however, would be spending the day in the privacy of her room. I didn't want any questions or curious glances directed at my arm. As I've mentioned earlier, I'm a horrible liar, and if I was questioned about the fact that my arm was in a sling, any of my attempts to lie to them would sound feeble and, well, false. Then they'd press me further and I'd eventually cave and spill about the puppet sword, which would just lead to more confusion and unwanted questions.

No doubt my family would question my absence from school, so I had told Tomoyo to tell sensei and my otou-san how I was feeling nauseous and couldn't come to school. Tomoyo was also to tell otou-san when he asked (because, being the protective father that he was, he would) that I wasn't feeling well enough to take the trek home, and that I would be staying at Tomoyo's until I was feeling better. I didn't want my family to see my arm because they would ask more questions than my friends and classmates at school, and if I had trouble lying to my classmates, if I tried to lie to my family I wouldn't be able to get a single word out (especially with Touya giving me his special "Sakura Glare")! I was an ethnically-straight girl and proud of it!

"I'll be fine, Tomoyo. Go on, or you'll be late!" As Tomoyo reluctantly began to head out the door, I called after her, "Oh, one more thing! Can you ask Sensei for my work? I want to make sure I'm not lagging behind in classes. No Math for me today!" I cheered, lifting my good fist into the air. My left arm, the one that had been stabbed, was bandaged and had been put in a sling so I wouldn't jostle it too much. Grinning at my childish behavior, Tomoyo slowly headed out the door, casting me glances every once in a while. It was almost as if she wanted me to call her back and beg her to stay with me and keep me company. Sorry Tomoyo, but that wasn't happening. One of us needs to be at school to give my (fake) story out!

Eventually the raven-haired girl was completely out the door, and it fastened shut behind her. Turning around, I headed back upstairs to see if I could grab a couple more hours – er, minutes – of sleep. Collapsing onto Tomoyo's soft, lavender-comforted bed, I burrowed myself into the blankets like a little worm tunneling through the soft dirt. Closing my eyes, I attempted to fall asleep. It didn't work.

Every time I shut my eyes, pictures of the puppet sword would dance in front of me. As soon as it started to swing its blade towards me, my eyelids would fly open and I'd lye, breathing heavily, for a few moments before I closed my eyes again. Then the whole process would repeat.

Once, instead of jerking my eyes open like I had every other time, I kept them closed. Again the sword danced under my eyelids and lunged at me, but this time I focused on the strings I could see connected to the sword, the same strings that had appeared when I'd cut them from the real puppet-sword yesterday. My gaze travelled up the strings to a rafter-filled ceiling. In the shadows, I could barely make out a figure holding the ends of the purple strings, and jerking them side to side to control the wild swings of the sword. Straining my dream-eyes, I made out the outline of what looked to be a small boy, a child. I was sure that it was he who was controlling the strings, until I saw the dark purple strings connected to the arms and head of the boy, glowing faintly black. The boy was not what he first appeared; "he" was really an "it," and the "it" was the "it" that had haunted my dreams for many nights now; the marionette.

Strings leading from the marionette were heading from its various joints up through the ceiling. The sword was controlled by the marionette, but the marionette was having its strings pulled by another force altogether. My enemy truly was a brilliant puppeteer.

My eyes flew open, but this time I didn't bother trying to close them again. I knew now I wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Crawling out of bed and drawing the large comforter around me (I'd re-make the bed for Tomoyo later) I hurriedly shuffled over to one of the many elegant white doors in Tomoyo's large room. Rummaging through Tomoyo's spacious closet (half the things in there were mine anyway) I found my favorite fluffy, pink bathrobe and pulled it on letting the lilac comforter drop to the floor of the closet. Tomoyo had fashioned the robe so that I was cocooned in warm folds of soft fabric. Recently she had added inner pockets into all of my clothes so I could carry my cards around with me everywhere I went (Tomoyo was an amazing, whirl-wind sewer), and the robe was no exception. It also featured two giant pockets on the outside located at the same height as my waist, and I gratefully shoved my freezing hands into them.

Easing my feet into a pair of fluffy black slippers, I paused for a moment to watch my breath slip out of my mouth in clouds of steam. Why was it so cold inside? Were the Daidoujis all immune to the near-freezing temperature winter brings? All Tomoyo had headed out with was her favorite grey coat and a pure white scarf! I'd be bundled up with a puffy parka, a scarf or two, mittens or gloves (or both), and a hat – at the minimum! As you can probably see, I get cold easily. In fact, just looking at The Snow or The Freeze cards sends shivers down my back. This morning, though, I was particularly cold. Blaming it on nerves and the freaky day-dream vision thing, I headed out, thoroughly swaddled, in search of Kero. Maybe he would know who this mysterious being was who wanted the cards, the book, my life - or all of the above - so badly.

_Why does Tomoyo-chan have to have such a freaking __**big**__ house?_ Grumbling under my breath, I slammed yet another door closed. I didn't have to worry about upsetting Ms. Daidouji or any of the maids, as Tomoyo's okaa-san was at her toy company, most likely working on some great new product, while the maids had been given today off. Therefore I was able to vent my anger on the many, similar looking doors in the house.

Another thing ticking me off was the fact that Kero wasn't hearing my multiple yells of his name. Either that or he was purposely ignoring my summons for something more amusing, like Tomoyo's giant entertainment system. (Kero had a thing for video games and T.V. in general) Pesky, egoist, annoying, stubborn, _deaf_ guardian beast!

"Ya know Sakura-chan, if you're looking for something wouldn't it be easier to leave the doors to the rooms you've already checked open? That way you wouldn't check the same room twice, like you'd probably be prone to doing. You can be so dense sometimes…" The little yellow bear trailed off as I slowly turned around. The look I wore was enough to falter his wing beat before he regained his composure and looked at me, surprise all over his crumb-dusted face.

"Um, Sakura-chan? Is something the matter? You look sorta… evil." Kero chuckled nervously, backing away bit by bit while his eyes darted left to right, searching for an escape. A dark sneer crossed my face as I grabbed him by one of his large ears.

"Oh no you don't, buster! What do you think gives you the right to ignore me while I'm wearing my voice out screaming your name and freezing half to death? I could've broken one of Tomoyo-chan's doors with my angry slamming, and then it would be your fault I'd be apologizing to the people who so graciously took me in while I was 'sick' and couldn't go home." I glared at him, and he visibly shuddered, trying to draw away from my grasp. Now that I had him, however, I wasn't letting go.

"Mercy, Sakura-sama, mercy!" Kero pleaded, his eyes somehow quadrupling in size and little crocodile tears gathering at the bottom of them, "I couldn't hear you calling me, or else I would've rushed to your side immediately. I was in the kitchen, erm, _taking care_ of the leftover cookies Tomoyo-chan - dear, sweet Tomoyo-chan - had left out." The earnest tone Kero used and the pitiful looks he was giving me softened my gaze a bit. Then the words he had said after admitting he hadn't heard my calls registered in my cold-numbed mind. He had been in the _kitchen_!

Groaning, I slapped my hand against my forehead, releasing Kero. Of course he would be in the kitchen; this was _Kero_ after all! It should've been the first place I looked, and I was mad at myself for not realizing this. The now-detectable smell of cookies drifting up from downstairs would've been a good hint if I had bothered to pay attention. Obviously I hadn't; my mind had been too clouded with anger at Kero to bother with trivial things like noticing what was happening around me.

His eyes questioning me, Kero prompted me with a "You wanted to talk to me?" Giving a loud "OH," I jerked my head up and turned to the surprised mini-beast. Right! My main purpose to find Kero was to question him about the psycho-puppet-person! That had been pushed out of my mind when I had become angry with Kero. Forgetting my main purpose because of a bit of anger, that was a trait that could hinder me further on. I'd have to check my rage in future situations to make sure my mind was never that clouded again. Pushing all other thoughts aside, I focused on the ones I wanted to talk to Kero about.

"Have you heard anything about an evil puppet?" I asked, gazing at him steadily until I realized how stupid my question sounded. Then I looked away to the side, a soft blush stealing across my cheeks.

Raising an eyebrow, Kero replied, "An evil puppet? Wait, does this have anything to do with the marionette in your nightmares? The creepy-looking one with the crooked smile?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm talking- Wait. How do you know about my nightmares? I haven't even told Tomoyo-chan!" I fired a question right back at Kero, my eyes beginning to narrow in suspicion.

"Oh, I just took the liberty of looking through your dreams one night to see if I could learn anything about my new Cardmistress. Dreams are very informative, and learning about something is the key to protecting it!" Kero puffed out his little chest, proud at his achievement. I, however, was almost livid with rage at the invasion of my privacy.

"You looked through my _dreams_? While I was sleeping and didn't know?" I hissed, eyes barely opened.

Kero, looking more nervous and less self-assured now, answered hesitantly, "Uh, yes?"

It took five yoga-breaths and three times of counting to ten before I was calm enough to reply. I had learned from my earlier mistake (for the moment, at least), and I was trying to keep my temper down. A level mind worked best; as my otou-san always reminded Touya and I. (Onii-chan had a temper worse than mine when we were younger!)

"How did you look through my dreams?" I questioned Kero once I had control over myself. Still a bit shy of my earlier explosion, Kero hesitated a bit in answering.

"Um, in my current state, though I don't have my full powers, I can do certain things like looking briefly at dreams. Though, since his power is drawn from the moon, Yue would be a lot better at it than I." Kero relayed, shuffling his two front paws nervously. "I couldn't look at your dreams for long, but the marionette kept appearing in them, so I figured it was important. I'm sorry for invading your privacy, but I really wanted to know why you looked so sad and pained as you slept."

Kero was still staring at the ground when I grabbed him in a one-armed bear hug. I think he was startled, as he let out a squeak.

"You were worried about me? Kero-chan, you're too sweet!" His invasion of my privacy, while still annoying, had been for my sake. It touched me that the little creature cared so much for me! I know, my mood shifted quickly, but it was really hard for me to stay mad at someone for long, especially someone as cute as Kero-chan. Although, the fact that Kero could enter my brain without my knowing it disturbed me somewhat.

"Kero, would it be possible for me to learn how to shield my mind against invasions like your dream-searching?" I asked, releasing the yellow beast who had slowly been turning blue with my squeezing.

"You mean you want to learn how to protect your mind from others who would try to search it with magic? That's actually not a bad idea!" Kero chimed, his wings beginning to flutter stronger as the idea caught on. "Yeah, if others couldn't get into your mind, then they wouldn't know that you're the Cardmistress, or where you live, or who you're related to, or what your favorite color is! Plus, they wouldn't be able to easily control your thoughts or your body."

"Um, Kero-chan? You make it sound like there are a lot of people who'd want to rifle through my brain." I was a bit nervous about the fact that there could be people out there looking through brains, trying to find me.

"Ah, well, since you're the Cardmistress and all, you'll have a lot of people looking for you. Technically, they'd be looking for the Book and cards, but if they found you then they've practically got the cards in their hands. Learning to shield your mind will be good for you. We can start now, if you'd like." Kero looked at me, and when he saw my frantic nods, he grinned and tugged me back into Tomoyo's room. The sooner I was sure my mind would be completely my own, the better! Besides, I couldn't really do anything else with my crippled arm. Shutting the door behind me, I turned on the light.

"Turn the light back off! Since you're just beginning at this, I think it'd be easier for you to concentrate if there were fewer distractions, like light." Kero then flew over to the light switch and flipped it off. The only light now came from the slight gap in the curtains covering Tomoyo's large window-doors leading out to her balcony. Flying over, Kero drew the curtains tight so that no light entered the room. Blindly reaching out, I stumbled over to Tomoyo's bed and sat down, peering out into the blackness that surrounded me.

"K-Kero-chan?" My voice wavered slightly; I had never liked the dark.

"I'm right here, Sakura-chan." I felt a light weight on my head, and I relaxed some. "You do know that, with your magic, you're able to see in the dark, right?" Kero continued, and I could feel him shifting from my head to my shoulder. Trying out what he had said, I focused a small portion of my magic into my eyes and gazed about me. Pleasantly surprised, I found that I could now see the interior of Tomoyo's room just as well as I could see it in broad daylight. Although the shading of everything was a bit green, like I'd expect night-vision goggles to be, my vision was still clear.

"Wow Kero-chan, this is so cool!" I squealed, my fear entirely forgotten as I eagerly gazed at the familiar scenery with new and (magically) improved eyes.

"Close your eyes, Sakura-chan. As I mentioned earlier, this is easier at first when you have no distractions. Now, take a deep breath. Take another." This calm, peaceful side was one I would not have expected Kero to have. Then again, who could be forever cheerful? Even I had days where I was more spacey or mellow.

I began to feel my magic stirring as I continued with my deep breathing exercise. Kero must've been able to see the pink glow I could feel surrounding me, because he quietly piped up.

"Good, you're a natural at this! Now, take your magic and wrap it around yourself, like a moving, flexible shield. See if you can mold it to your exact body shape." Following his instructions, I concentrated on the aura radiating from me. Slowly, I tried to reel it back in and cocoon myself with it. I failed. Again and again I drew my magic to me, but again and again it slipped from my grasp. Finally, I grew impatient and opened my eyes and my mouth.

"This is hard! And I'm beginning to get sore from sitting in this position for so long." It was true; I was beginning to feel pricks all the way up and down my legs. My clothes were also sticking to me from sweat; while I had been concentrating, the room had to an almost unbearably hot temperature. Maybe the Daidoujis were having problems with their heating and cooling systems? I'd talk to Tomoyo about it later, but right now I was dying from heat!

Rushing to the window-door, I drew back the curtains and stood for a while blinking at the bright light. I then thrust open the door and basked in the cool breeze that entered from the sunlight world outside.

Kero slowly unfolded himself from the Indian-style position he had been floating in, blinking his small black eyes. Turning his head, he seemed to finally realize how hot it was in Tomoyo's room, and he flew to the open window.

"Air!" Kero exclaimed, bobbing in the breeze, "Actually, you did really well for your first time Sakura-chan! That you were even able to find and finger your aura is incredible for a beginner like you. In fact, I think you might have a natural talent for the thing!" Kero patted me on my sweaty head, and I blinked gratefully up at him. I had been feeling a bit angry at myself for not being able to draw my magic around me, but the fact that Kero had praised me for getting so far did a great deal to lift my spirits.

"Since I'm already sweaty, why don't I give my body a workout as well as my mind?" I commented, half to myself, half to Kero as I drew my star key out. Releasing my staff, I drew out a card and held it between two of my fingers. Rushing downstairs, I threw open the door and ran into Tomoyo's expansive backyard. I'd need plenty of space for my next card transformation!

"Sakura-chan, are you sure about this? I mean, your arm _is_ injured, and it'd be really bad to reinjure it…" Kero trailed of as he saw the stubborn determination in my eyes. I'd just work with one arm then! Gulping nervously, Kero backed off as I got into what I hoped was a dramatic stance.

Tossing the card into the air and watching as it turned pink, I cried "FIGHT!" From the swirling mists appeared a girl around my age. She was white skinned with a touch of blue and clad in a blue one-piece with trailing blue coat-tails. Long blue boots reached up to her mid-thigh, and her white hair was held in two opposite loops at the top of her head that trailed down to her mid-back. A golden diamond was positioned in the middle of her chest. Her face was a mask of fierce determination and her two white eyes stared strongly at me.

"Sensei, please teach me how to fight." I bowed to The Fight, and she bowed back, then moved slowly towards me. Gulping, I wondered if I should have specified how I wanted to learn; defiantly **not** by trial and error! To my relief, Fight just came towards me and corrected my position. For the next hour or so, she went through some basic punching, kicking, and blocking drills with me. I did them all one handed, and I could already feel the improvement in my stamina and strength.

Kero was silent through the whole training, but I could tell he approved. Eventually I was too tired to continue, and I called Fight back, bowing to her before I returned her to her newly made Sakura Card. She was pulled into her card as she bowed back, and the card flew into my hand. I returned it to my deck. Heading upstairs, I collapsed onto Tomoyo's bed. I'd shower later, when I was able to move my body again. I just hope Tomoyo wouldn't mind washing her sheets!

A rush of pride flowed through me as I reviewed my day. Sure, I was crippled with a dead arm, but I was still able to fight with both my mind and my body. I'd even learned new ways to control my magic, and I had transformed another card. As I began to fall asleep with Kero already snoring at my side, satisfaction slid over me as I realized that none of the exhaustion I felt was due to transforming The Fight. I was, as Kero had mentioned, a natural.

Later that day, Tomoyo came home to find me sprawled out over her bed, shivering slightly as I had left the comforter in her closet. My best friend retrieved it for me, and tucked me in. No trace of the sword or the marionette could be found in my dreams.


	9. Cause You're Hot and You're Cold

_It was back. It was back, and it was watching her. This time, nothing else was in the pitch black room but her, and it. The spotlight still shone yellow, casting the shadow of it on the ground behind it. The purple strings still glinted, leading up to the invisible ceiling. The smile was still crooked, painted, and menacing. The hand still beckoned. And the girl still moved forward._

_This time, though, the girl found that she held a staff in her hands - a pink staff, with a star on its end. A bulge in her pocket was revealed to be a deck of strange cards, a few pink and the rest a reddish-brown. The pink cards glowed, and the girl found that she received strength, the strength to fight the power of the marionette. Gritting her teeth, the girl planted her feet, raising her staff above her. The pink cards flew out from the confines of her pocket and circled around her, six in all. The cards formed a six-pointed star around her, and the girl found she could move her mouth into a smile. But the puppet beckoned again, and the girl lurched forwards._

_Circling frantically around her, the cards glowed stronger as the girl continued to fight the puppet's grasp. One by one, the cards turned grey and fell to the ground. The star staff shrunk to a key and slipped from the girl's grasp. Again, the girl was jerked forwards, and this time she could not fight. The remaining cards in her pocket grew heavy, and weighed her resisting movements down. From above, laughter was heard. She would be destroyed._

_A pure white light shone in the darkness. The girl squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding brightness, and the marionette cowered into the shadows._

_**Do not worry, child.**__ A gentle voice sounded throughout the room, but the girl knew that it came from the light. __**You are the Mistress. Already, some of the Cards are yours and yours alone. They and the remaining Cards are on your side. The Gentle One is with you as well, as she has been for many years. You have released Sun Lion, even if he is confined to his false form for the moment. You will release him eventually. You must find Moon Angel. He is near you, yet hidden to your senses in his false form. He is your other guardian. The Fighter is coming, and behind her walks Little Wolf. You must take them in and make them your friends, for they will prove to be important allies in the coming battle. Later, the Clever One will appear. He is hidden to me, now, but he will aid you even if it seems he is not at first. I, too, will stand beside you. That is, if you can find me.**__ A chuckle sounded, but, unlike the one of the puppet, this one was warm and inviting. The girl found that she could move freely again, and that the evil that had earlier hindered her was completely vanished. _

_**You must go now, child. The Gentle One is calling you. I am with you, though, even if at times you may not feel me. Do not be afraid. If I may be clichéd for a moment, your love is your greatest weapon.**__ The girl detected the humor in the voice, yet she could not detect if the voice was female or male, old or young. It was warm, though, and the girl started to panic when it began to fade. _

"-Kura-chan."

_The girl looked wildly around. What was that? It sounded again, this time completely._

"Sakura-chan."

_The girl felt herself being taken away from the warmth of the white light, and she began to struggle again the presence she felt pulling her back._

_**Go, child! It is okay. After all, you are my little Cherry Blossom.**_

"Sakura-chan, you have to wake up!"

_The girl relaxed as the light swept over her, and slowly closed her eyes as around her the blackness began to melt away. She was okay. The light was with her._

I slowly cracked my eyes open and gazed around me. There was purple everywhere! Even the blanket in which I was wrapped was purple.

"Gosh Sakura-chan, you sure take a while to wake up! Maybe I should use Touya-kun's method of dumping water on you!" From beside me, a bright voice sounded. Turning my head, I was met with violet eyes.

"Tomoyo-chan wouldn't dump water on me, she's too nice. She's the Gentle One. The light said so." I murmured, closing my eyes again. Why was I so hot? I struggled to kick off the blanket, and moaned in pleasure as someone did it for me. It was still hot and muggy, though, and I opened my eyes again as I lurched out of bed and stumbled towards the window.

"Sakura-chan, wait! It's freezing out there." Tomoyo gently ushered me back to her bed, and I was surprised to find my clothes were sticking to me from sweat.

"Feel her forehead, Tomoyo! She's burning up!" Kero exclaimed, drawing his small paw away from my forehead. In a quieter voice, so just I could hear, he continued, "I should've never let you transform the Fight and then battle it, especially with your arm like that! Some guardian I am."

"It's okay, Kero-chan!" I slurred, trying to reach up and pat him on the head. My vision went double, and I ended up falling backwards into Tomoyo as I was knocked off balance. What did he mean by my arm? It felt perfectly fine to me!

"Sakura!" Tomoyo cried, straining to lift me up as she cradled my head in her arms, her cool hand on my forehead.

"Tomoyo-chan, your hand's so cold! It feels nice." I muttered, closing my eyes again. Tomoyo wrenched her hand away in alarm, and turned to Kero.

"She's definitely not okay. We should get her to a doctor."

"Guys, I'm fine!" As I said this, I realized it was true. The heat was gradually beginning to leave my body, and my energy was coming back. Placing Tomoyo and Kero's hand/paw on my forehead, I let them know physically that I was doing fine.

"She was burning up five minutes ago. How can she be this cool?" Kero questioned, looking frantically at Tomoyo, who hesitantly shrugged, worry in her eyes.

"Told you two!" I stuck my tongue out childishly and sat up in Tomoyo's bed. "In fact, I'm getting a bit chilly. Kero-chan, can you pass the blanket?" I indicated the blanket Kero had thrown on the floor for me earlier, when I felt as if I was melting. Now my body was beginning to shiver with cold.

"T-Tomoyo-chan," I stuttered, my teeth clacking together and my lips beginning to turn blue, "Do you have a p-problem with your heating and c-cooling systems? Because now I'm f-freezing." I cocooned myself in the blanket and pulled part of it over my head, so I looked as if I was and old woman.

"Not that I know of…" Tomoyo trailed off as she noticed my breath was foggy. I had noticed it earlier, and was trying to take my mind off the cold by blowing steam from my nose and mouth. A tingle of heat was beginning to creep into my spine, and I stopped shivering. My breath gradually turned invisible again.

"Nevermind." I was begging to slur my words together again as the heat kicked in. "I'm warm now. Hot, really." I slowly shoved the blanket off of me and slowly, ineffectively fanned myself with my hand. My movements were too sluggish to create any sort of breeze.

"Sakura, what's wrong? First you were hot, then you were freezing, and now you're becoming hot again! Kero, help her!" Tomoyo turned frantically to a startled Kero, and looked at him with pleading purple eyes.

"…I'm not sure myself what's going on. It might be a spirit that Clow neglected to, forgot about, or just didn't, capture. In that case, Sakura's the only one who can get rid of her temperature swings; I'm not sure she's in the state to do so." Kero looked helplessly at me as I started to sweat. My collar soaked, I pushed up my pant legs and my shirt sleeves, trying to expose as much skin to the cool air as I could without being indecent.

At the mention of a spirit, my attention was drawn to Kero. "I could capture a spirit." I spoke with excruciating slowness, but my words were firm. My movements were sluggish from the heat, but I still managed to hook my hand around my star key necklace. With a soft cry of "Release!" the key turned into a staff, and I brought my other hand to it. Though that hand should be well unable to move, I found I could do so. I was so hot, though, that I didn't pay any attention to my seemingly healed arm. The heat I was feeling inside was beginning to become unbearable, and I needed a reprieve of any sort. Drawing two cards from my deck of Clow Cards, I held them aloft in front of me.

"Sakura, wait! You're in no state to transform cards!" Kero cried, frantically trying to draw my raised arms down. I was known for my stubbornness, though, and I refused to give up, even if I was too weak to do anything to get Kero off my arm.

_It's my job to capture spirits, and protect them and the people they might harm!_ I screamed inside, but I could no longer open my mouth to speak. The heat continued to swell up inside me, so much that I thought I might catch fire if it continued. With a great effort, I managed to tap my staff to the two cards in my hand, and begin my first duo transformation.

My pink aura surrounded the cards, and they began to glow golden, a glow that traveled up the length of them, hovering somewhere near the top. Gritting my teeth, I glared at the cards and heaved my staff up a bit higher, willing the cards to change completely. I was oblivious to Tomoyo and Kero's frantic tugging on my arms, and their fearful begging of me to stop. Once I started something, I would finish it, no matter the cost

Finally, the golden glow encompassed the whole of both cards. It exploded outwards, and two spirits were drawn out from their cards. The former Clow Cards were now pink Sakura cards. Fatigue hit my body, but I knew I couldn't stop now. I still had to capture the spirit.

The first figure was huge; it crouched down to avoid touching Tomoyo's smooth ceiling. The spirit itself was a great contrast from what lay on its card. In front of me was coiled an ice-dragon, a blue jewel crowning its forehead. On the card was a picture of a sharp-edged icicle-fish, the same jewel on its forehead. The ice-dragon was an ice-blue color, with large, jagged icicles framing its head. Slanted, feline-like eyes gazed steadily at me.

The second figure was smaller, but no less intimidating. A woman with pure white skin gazed regally at me. Her hair and eyes were pure white as well, and she wore a white kimono. The sash of blue on her kimono was the only color on her body.

Both of them radiated cold from their bodies, and I welcomed it. They were The Freeze and The Snow, respectfully.

Given strength from the cold air now circulating the room (poor Kero and Tomoyo were shivering), I called out, "Freeze! Snow! Please, help me!" The ice dragon, Freeze, began to gently wrap himself around me, and I took comfort in his coldness. The wintry queen, Snow, enveloped me in an awkward chilled hug, and I hesitantly wrapped my arms back around her. The solemn Snow actually cracked a small smile, and I hugged her a bit tighter. The hotness began to flee my body and I found myself able to move freely again. Sensing I no longer needed their power, Freeze and Snow gave me one last rigid squeeze before they returned to card form. The two pink cards drifted into my deck, which I had moved from the pocket of my bathrobe (when I had started burning up, I had taken it off) into the pocket in my sleep-pants.

"Sakura, look up." Kero murmured, and I followed his instructions.

Above me was an impish figure, who looked to be a pointy-eared, young girl, She was clad all in various shades of red, and her skin was a pale pink. Her eyes were a fiery magenta; her hair was the same color and styled in twin, jagged pigtails. Reddish-brown overalls went over a red undershirt, and her small pink feet were bare. She glared at me as she shivered in some non-existent cold, and her glare brought me back to my senses. (I had been too busy staring at the spirit that had appeared from seemingly nowhere.)

Raising my staff above my head, I channeled my energy through it and towards the weakened spirit. Wisps of white began to appear around the sprite-like girl, swirling around her until she began to dissolve into wisps as well. When the fog cleared, a pink card drifted down into my hand. On it was the picture of the girl-spirit I had just captured, grinning impishly up at me from the picture. Next to her was an empty space. Where the name should have gone at the bottom of the card, there was another blank space. I was just beginning to ponder why the card was incomplete when the cold hit.

I was freezing. Shivers racked my body, and I was unable to support myself. Falling to the ground, the unfinished card drifted from my hand. My fingers were barely able to keep closed around the staff; they were stiff with cold. I could tell this cold was not caused by either The Freeze or The Snow, and I wondered if it came from the other half of the mysterious card. Tomoyo was instantly at my side, helping me to sit up. Through bleary eyes I noticed she had her favorite camcorder in her hands.

_I wonder if she's video-taping all this…_ My thoughts trailed off as my brain began to shut down. I was already exhausted from transforming two cards at the same time and capturing a third, and now the coldness paired with the tiredness was causing my body to go into hibernation. Warmth began to spread into my veins, but this warmth was off. If I had been coherent, I would've known that this was a bad thing. Instead, I took joy in the welcome heat.

From somewhere in the distance, I could hear Kero and Tomoyo calling my name. Kero was also mentioning something about "The Firey." I couldn't hear them clearly. I was getting warmer, and the room around me was growing darker. The warmth was all that mattered right now though - the fake warmth that was slowly killing me.

From my pocket, real warmth began to emanate. It chased away the fake warmth, and fought back the rising cold in my body. My eyes fluttered open, and I gazed in awe as an angel clad in fire hovered above me. Her hair was red and orange flames, and it was held back with a red headband, a golden jewel in the middle. She was clad in nothing except for flames, which covered her lower torso and legs. Two flaming wings sprouted from her back. Long, thin-ended ears gave her an elfish appearance. She had a wild, youthful beauty. Though she wore a scowl, her eyes softened a bit as they gazed upon me. She was a true free-spirited, guardian angel.

With a bit of a sigh, she glided down to me and burned my fingers as a punishment for calling her out so informally. I watched in wonder as they began to blister. Then, with a smile, my fiery angel began to quell the flames around her hand and reached out to me. I took her hand and gasped as a pure heat flooded my body. The angel just grinned wider, and continued to fill me with warmth. This heat was different from the excruciatingly painful one I had experienced earlier. Though they were both almost unbearably hot, this new warmth had a bit of a caring feeling to it. Leaning in, the fiery angel planted a light kiss on my forehead, leaving a small burn but also chasing away the last of the deadly cold. Her kiss was both a saving gesture and one that reprimanded me for not being so careful. She was the strangest angel I had even met, yet I was thankful for her presence; she gave me the same feeling as sitting inside on a wintry day in front of a warm fire, the popping, crackling, bright heat lulling you into a sense of security and peace.

White light gathered around the flaming girl as she turned back into her card form. The pink card came to rest in my hand, still warm. Smiling, I looked at the name of the card. "The Firey."

This time I was ready when above me a figure appeared. This spirit was a male child, and he looked to be the opposite of his female counterpart. Where she was red, he was blue. Pale blue skin made him look as if he had been frozen. Blue spiked hair sprouted from his small face, and his droopy eyes were an ice-blue. He, like the girl, was clad in overalls, except his were a navy blue with a sky-blue undershirt. Lethargic, he hovered in the air, barely able to keep himself aloft. His eyes were starting to close when I raised my staff and started to turn him into a Sakura Card.

From the floor beside me rose the card I had created earlier; the one with the red girl-child on it. The blue boy began to turn into tendrils of white smoke that flew into the shining card. When the process was finished, the card flew into my hand. Next to the girl, where the empty space had been earlier, a picture of the boy now rested. While the girl wore an impish smile, the boy stared up at me with solemn eyes and a flat line for a mouth. The card had been named, and in the blank space at the bottom "The Temperature" was written in the same flowing script that all the other cards had.

"Oh, thank gosh Sakura-chan! I was so scared when you suddenly collapsed!" Tomoyo squealed, causing me to turn suddenly and look right at…

…The lens of Tomoyo's favorite camcorder.

"Tomoyo-chan, did you get all of that on tape?" I complained, trying to duck away from the piercing gaze of the lens.

"Of course! I only wish I could've gotten you into a costume… Oh well! There's always next time! By the way, how's your arm? You fell pretty hard on it earlier." To my surprise, I noticed that I could freely move my injured arm around.

"Strange…" I murmured. Could this have anything to do with the strange light in my dream?

"Sakura-chan, are you feeling alright? You _did_ capture two spirits into one card, and you transformed three cards, including two at once!" Kero commented, flying over to me and laying a paw on my forehead.

"I'm fine, Kero! Never been better!" I chirped, giving him a wide grin before I sank to the floor and started snoring.

"That child…" Kero shook his head as he and Tomoyo guided me to Tomoyo's bed and tucked me in. On my face I still wore the slight smile, and in my hand I clutched The Temperature. The star key was back around my neck, and my cards were in my pocket. My dreams were filled with icy palaces ruled by snow queens and guarded by icy dragons, and skies in which I flew with a hot-headed fiery angel. I didn't notice the two pairs of purple strings on the grown disintegrate to ashes and scatter around Tomoyo's room.


	10. Ni Hao!: Introducing Mei-Lin

It was a relatively quiet Monday morning. Outside the glass window the birds were conducting their sound checks. Leaves rustled in a faint winter breeze. The sun shone gently down through the chilled atmosphere. An occasional car passed in the street below, swishing through the remaining ice and slush of the snows the weekend had held.

Inside the warm classroom, children milled about, talking quietly amonst themselves. A girl with large round glasses seemed to be at the center of a group of children. Every so often the children surrounding her would cower as the spectacled girl animatedly proceeded with her story. In the back of the room another group of children surrounded a boy with eyes squeezed shut. He, too, was talking vigorously, and the children gathered around him listened with just as much vigor. He was interrupted in his story as a girl with two twirled pigtails on the sides of her head grabbed him by the ear and hauled him away. In the front of the room two girls chatted quietly. One, with long violet hair, was whispering something in the ear of the other. This caused the other girl, the one with chocolate brown hair cut in a wavy bob around her face, to blush and look up towards the empty teacher's desk. The girl with the violet hair smiled knowingly, and took the brown-haired girl's hand.

It was a relatively quiet Monday morning, yes. Until I appeared.

"HOE!" I cried, sprinting down the hallways, "I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" Bursting into my classroom, I took a moment to pause and catch my breath.

"It's okay Sakura-chan," Tomoyo called, smiling softly, "Terada-sensei isn't here yet!"

"Thank goodness!" I panted, leaning down to place my hands on my knees.

"You don't have to worry about Sensei getting mad at you;" Chiharu started solemnly but ended with a wide grin, "You're late so often he's permanently set class time back five minutes to give you time to join us!"

"You're mean, Chiharu-chan," I giggled, "But I **do** have a good reason for being late this time. I was early for once-"

"Sakura! Just because Takashi tells lies doesn't mean you need too as well!" Naoko exclaimed, wandering over from her ghost story session.

"They aren't lies! Speaking of which, the first lie started when a little boy had forgotten to feed his parakeet-" This time Takashi was the one cut off as Chiharu leaned in and grabbed his ear between two of her fingers, pulling him away and depositing him in a corner before coming back to hear what I was trying to say. Takashi eventually wandered back over as well, rubbing his now-red ear.

"It's not a lie, Naoko-chan; for once I was actually early, I swear!" I protested, doing a little crossing motion over my heart. When I was met with silence, I turned tearfully to Tomoyo. "Tomoyo-chan, you believe me, don't you?"

"Sakura-chan, it _is_ highly unlikely that you would be early to class…" Tomoyo trailed off and looked at me apologetically. Why did no one believe me? If I had spent just one more night at Tomoyo's she would've walked in with me and I would've had reliable back-up for my story!

After the incident with The Temperature I had collapsed from exhaustion. When I had awoken, I had insisted upon going home to soothe my over-protective family. Reluctantly agreeing, Tomoyo had her chauffeur drive me home Sunday afternoon. My family had, of course, questioned both Tomoyo and I, but we had rehearsed our answers in the car. We sounded so convincing; I even persuaded my father to let me go to school the next day - today. I had, for once, managed to leave on time – early, even.

"Fine, you guys believe what you want. I **was** early!" I took a moment to pout before regaining my energetic cheerfulness and continuing with my story (I was eager to tell it), "Anyways, as I was skating to school- early, mind you- I met a girl who seemed lost. Of course, I had to stop and see if she needed help. She didn't seem to be from around here, as her manner of speaking and dressing were a bit different. As it turned out, she had transferred to Tomoeda and was going to our school! She had taken a wrong turn and was heading in the wrong direction so I turned her around and we set off to school together, chatting along the way. When we reached the building, I directed her to the main office, and then realized I had about a minute to get to class. It guess we had been talking for longer than it seemed!" I ended my story, looking up hopefully. Would they still think my tale a lie?

"What was her name?" Rika's quiet voice reached my ears, and I paused for a moment.

"Name?" I was thinking out-loud, a bad habit of mine, "I never asked her for her name."

A loud chorus of "Sakura!" could be heard as I blushed and sheepishly rubbed the back of my head with my hand.

"It's okay Sakura-chan! We love that part of you just like we love all the others!" Tomoyo comforted, hugging me as I attempted to hide in her long hair. The rest of the class was laughing, and we didn't notice when Terada-sensei stepped into the room.

"Um, class? Could you please take your seats?" We jumped, startled, then quickly fled to our assigned spots with a flurry of "Hai!"s and "Sorry!"s. Once everyone had taken their place, Sensei began to talk.

"As I told you multiple times last week, today we have a new student joining us. She is from China - more specifically Hong Kong - and I expect you to treat her with kindness and respect. Li-san, will you introduce yourself?" As soon as Terada-sensei stopped speaking, the new student glided into the classroom from where she had been waiting in the hallway.

"As Sensei already mention, my name is Li Mei-Lin. I was born in Hong Kong and I came here on-" The girl stumbled for a moment, a stricken look passing across her face, before regaining her composure and continuing on. "-Family business. In a few weeks, my cousin will be arriving, but I think I'm more than enough for you right now!" She gave a cheerful wink, and I could immediately tell I was going to like this girl.

Mei-Lin was pretty, there was no denying it. She had long, raven's feather hair twisted into two buns on either side of her head and tied with long red ribbons. Pale skin went well with her fiery red-amber eyes. Even though she had a slim build, I could see that she was sporty and muscular, like me. Her head was held aloft; she seemed like the type to be proud and maybe a tad haughty. There was a spark in her that suggested loyalty and perseverance. She was a go-getter, that was for sure. I could tell by the way she spoke she wasn't afraid of much. There's a lot you can discover about a person just by looking close enough.

"Thank you for your introduction, Li-san. You can sit over there, behind Daidouji-san. Daidouji-san, raise your hand please." Terada-sensei remarked, and Tomoyo delicately lifted her hand in response. Mei-Lin sauntered over to the seat behind Tomoyo and settled herself. She was stationed behind me at a diagonal, as I sat next to Tomoyo.

"Daidouji-san sounds a bit too formal for my likes." I could hear her whispering to Tomoyo as I reached for my notebook, "Mind telling me your first name?"

"Tomoyo. But you can only call me that if I get to call you Mei-Lin-chan!" Tomoyo smiled back at the new student, and I knew immediately that they would get along well. Mei-Lin smiled back, and was turning towards me when Terada-sensei spoke up.

"I'm glad you're meeting your classmates Li-san, but could you do so after school? I have to start lessons now."

"Hai, Sensei!" Mei-Lin cheered, before getting out her notebook. I noticed a quick flash of brown and green as a picture fell out from between the notebook's red and gold covers, but Mei-Lin quickly scooped the photo up, stuffing it into her jacket pocket and secretly looking around. A faint tinge of pink stained her ivory cheeks, and I got an inkling of who the picture might be of. Something about the person in the photo bothered me though, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I couldn't even tell if the picture was of a male or a female! No time was left for contemplation as Sensei turned to the board and began to chalk away. Soon enough I was drowning in Math.

"Hoe, why does Terada-sensei always call on me to do the most difficult problems?" I complained during lunch, picking at the food before me. From my bag I heard quiet moans of pleasure. When no one was looking I had slipped Kero my chocolate-chip cookies.

"Sakura-chan," Naoko told me gently, "He calls on you for the easiest questions." When I gave her a blank look, everyone around us laughed. Mei-Lin was included in the group, as we had asked her to sit with us for lunch break. As I had suspected, we got along well and were fast friends.

"Wow! I heard the rumors, but you really _aren't_ good at math, are you?" Mei-Lin laughed loudly. Blushing, I hid my head behind my lunch container. We all soon found out that Mei-Lin didn't know the meaning of the word "delicacy."

Fairly quickly (or at least it seemed so) the day was over and we were off to our respectful houses. Saying our last goodbyes to Mei-Lin, I noticed a corner of something sticking out of her pocket.

"Mei-Lin-chan, what's that?" I pointed to the white corner of the object, only to have it quickly disappear further into the reaches of her jacket. I knew it was the photo she had placed in her pocket earlier, but I wanted to check her reaction. Sure enough, she behaved just as I had suspected she would.

"N-Nothing! It must've just been notes from Math or something." Mei-Lin hurriedly changed the subject, but I still caught the faint tinge of pink crowning her cheeks. Like the good friends that I was, I bit down on the line.

"Math! Ugh, don't remind me of Math. We have a test tomorrow that I haven't even studied for and- OH NO! WE HAVE A TEST TOMORROW!" I burst out, frantically searching my bag for my notes. I had forgotten all about the test until I had unintentionally reminded myself. The test must've just slipped from the front of my mind to the back, to emerge once Mei-Lin had pushed forward the subject of Math.

"Math notes, math notes, where are you little math notes?" Muttering under my breath, I stuck half my arm into my bag.

"Sakura-chan, you keep your math notes in the outside pocket of your bag. Remember?" Tomoyo guided my hand out of the main pocket of my bag and into the smaller outer pocket. Of course (trust Tomoyo to _always_ be right), I felt my hand clasp around my purple spiral Math notebook.

"Heh, whoops!" I smiled cheerily while everyone else laughed and sighed "That's Sakura-chan for you!" Inside though, I was worried. I knew I could be a bit dense and clueless – everyone did – but since when was I forgetting important things like where I kept my notebook and when tests were happening? Shrugging it off on having to do with my hectic, Cardcaptor weekend, I clutched my math notebook to my chest as if it were my life-line, or more accurately, my memory-line. "Thanks, Tomoyo-chan!"

"Hey Sakura-chan, if you're so worried about passing the test then why don't you let me help you study? You can come over to my place and call your family from there; I'll even feed you. I was tutored in math _and _cooking by my genius cousin back in China." I noticed the slight emphasis Mei-Lin put on genius and the way her voice quavered a bit when she mentioned her cousin. Knowing Tomoyo, she probably picked up on these behaviors as well but was too polite to mention them. I decided to follow her example.

"That'd be **great**, Mei-Lin-chan! Gosh, it's hard to grasp that I've only known you a day. It seems as if we've been friends for at least forever!" I hugged Mei-Lin around the neck. Surprised, she hugged me back awkwardly after a few seconds, and then regained some of her bravado.

"What are we standing around here for? Let's get you multiplying!" Mei-Lin cheered and began dragging me off in what I hoped was the direction of her house. Waving to my friends as we raced down the road, I could barely make out Tomoyo's video camera and Chiharu's shouts of "Good luck!"

_Over the river and through the woods, to Mei-Lin's house we go!_


	11. Erase and Rewind

**Oh gosh, I'm late again... Sorry! I have a good excuse this time: I broke my arm. The head of my radius to be more exact. Do you know how hard it is to type with a broken arm? It took me two weeks before I could do more than peck with my good hand! Once it was fixed, I started typing more up. As a reward for your patience I present you with... A New Chapter! YAY! ...Sorry the reward is so lame. Better late than never, wouldn't you say? Enjoy!**

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* * *

**"Do you really live alone?" My voice seemed strangely loud in the relative quiet of the evening street. Even the birds had fallen silent in their own tribute to the upcoming sunset. The crickets took up where they had left off, chirping gently in the chilled winter air. Nothing was going to stop their serenade, not even the oncoming frost!

"No, silly!" Mei-Lin bonked me on the head and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I'm underage; it'd be illegal. Wei takes care of me."

I looked at her in confusion. "Who's Wei? Is that Mandarin for 'father'?" I asked, confusion etched across my every feature.

Mei-Lin rolled her eyes again, but the motion was disturbed by the peals of laughter that escaped from her open mouth in puffs of warm steam. "Sakura-chan, you're too cute! No, Wei isn't Mandarin for 'father.' That's 'fùqīn.' Wei's my butler. Well, technically he's Syao-kun's butler, but until the 'Little Master' arrives, Wei's acting as _my_ caretaker and legal guardian. You'll meet him in a second, come on!" Before I had even opened my mouth to ask about this "Syao-kun" guy Mei-Lin seemed so fond of (I'm sure his was the picture she carried around), Mei-Lin had grabbed my arm and we were off again.

"How-how much further?" I panted, struggling to keep up with Mei-Lin's quick strides. I thought I was fit – athletic, even – but this girl's pace had me gulping for air like any prissy wimp.

"It's right ahead of us!" Mei-Lin grinned at me, two rows of pearly whites, and tugged me one final time up to the door of a small townhouse. "Welcome to my humble abode!"

Even though she had said humble, this townhouse was obviously built for luxury. It must have cost a good deal, especially considering it hadn't come pre-decorated but for a few essentials. (I had toured houses with Tomoyo when we were young and fantasizing about our "dream homes." These townhouses had been among the most expensive on our lists, and that was saying something!) I was surprised when the door opened and I was met by an elderly man.

"Welcome home, Mistress Mei-Lin." The man's voice was deep and smooth, despite his age.

"I told you Wei, just 'Mei-Lin' is fine!" The young woman beside me retorted, before cracking her scowl and hugging the old man.

After she had released him, Mei-Lin gestured to me, "This is my friend, Kinomoto Sakura." I smiled at the old man and bowed, and he repeated my actions. Dressed in an immaculate black suit a white undershirt, and a black tie, his outfit radiated elegance. His grey hair was swept back from his high forehead, and a thick moustache of the same shade brushed his upper lip. Gold-rimmed, circular glasses were settled upon his long nose. Though his eyes were coal black, I could see warmth dancing in their depths. This was a man suited to be the caretaker of a child.

As Wei ushered us inside, I took time to appreciate the lavish decorations. Most of the pieces had feminine touches, and I could tell Mei-Lin had a say in the place's decoration. Maybe I should introduce this talent to Tomoyo… On second thought, that would just give Tomoyo a dastardly partner in fashion crime. There was no way I could release that evil unto the world!

"Would the Mistresses prefer their tea with sugar and cream or without?" Wei's gentle voice interrupted my imagination's progress, for which I was thankful. Who knows where my thoughts would've led me next! When I took too long to answer, Mei-Lin became impatient and answered for the both of us.

"We'll have our tea in a while, thank you. Could you please prepare us some sweets to go with the tea? Thank you!" As Wei went to fulfill Mei-Lin's request, the person in question led me to what I took to be her room. The walls were a ruby red, similar to her eye color. The bedspread was golden, adorned with a red-stitched Chinese dragon. Red Chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling, giving the room a unique flavor. My feet padded softly on a thick, gold carpet as Mei-Lin led me to one of her plushy red and gold beanbags. The piece that captured my attention was the glass display in the corner. Inside it rested an outfit similar to a short kimono; the under outfit was cream in color, with long, flowing sleeves edged in gold and ending in golden bells. I could make out the tips of shorts peeking out from the over-piece. Over that part of the outfit went a short red dress which was also edged in gold. On the front of the red dress was a black and white Yin-Yang symbol. Beneath the outfit rested red Chinese slippers, and hanging on hooks to the right and left of the outfit were twin red ribbons. Curious, I wandered closer to it.

"Mei-Lin-chan, what's this?" At my innocent question, Mei-Lin tensed up. A look I couldn't recognize immediatly flashed through her eyes before they returned to their normal energetic state.

"Oh, that old thing? It's just a souvenir I took to remind me of home. It's nothing, really!" The lie was an obvious one, and it showed plainly on Mei-Lin's face. Once again, I found myself having to bite back questions at her actions. Just who was Mei-Lin, really?

"Okay. Based on your room, I can guess that red and gold are your favorite colors. Am I right?" With a simple question, I steered the conversation back into what I figured was safe territory.

"Defiantly," Mei-Lin replied enthusiastically, and I smiled. Mission success! "Red is such a powerful color; it energizes you and hypes you up! Gold isn't as energetic, but it's still strong. It's more of a quiet color."

"I know!" I replied eagerly, forgetting the doubts I had conceived a moment earlier about Mei-Lin, "I read somewhere that looking at the color red actually gets your adrenaline flowing. And I totally agree with what you said about gold. It doesn't feel as raucous as red, but there's a sturdiness beneath it. Unlike silver; which is more of a playful, slippery color."

"Isn't it? Oh, but what about copper? It seems like a sort of quiet trickster to me."

"Hmm, true. It could lean either way, couldn't it? Hey, what about-"

It was at this point that Kero chose to interrupt my color conversation (which was totally unrelated to what I had originally come to Mei-Lin's to learn – math) by popping out of my near-forgotten bag and shoving both Mei-Lin and I down. I could hear something hurtle by overhead.

"What the heck-"

This time Kero cut off Mei-Lin, shoving her and me up against a red wall. This time, I didn't manage to avoid the attack and was sliced by the fast-moving thing on the side of my left cheek. Actually, it wasn't so much a slice as a burn. Brining one tentative hand up to the side of my face, I was relieved when I felt no sticky, wet substance. No blood.

"Sakura, what are you doing? Move it!" Kero shouted, dragging a still-stunned Mei-Lin away. Again, I felt the object pass, and again I was too late in drawing back. Though it didn't get a full lash at my face, it managed to give me another streaked burn opposite the first one.

"Sakura? What's happening?" Mei-Lin managed to croak out a full sentence, her eyes wide and frightened.

"It's a spirit." As soon as the words left my mouth, a change took place in Mei-Lin. Her eyes went from frightened to hardened, and she jerked away from Kero's grasp and into a defensive fighting stance, one I recognized from my sessions with the Fight. I'd wonder later how she had learned to fight spirits; for now I was focusing on self-preservation.

The invisible foe lashed out again and again, each time managing to burn, even slightly, some part of my exposed skin. Though it hurt, I was thankful it hadn't yet gone after Mei-Lin. My burns I could hide. Hers would take some explaining.

"Enough!" I cried, drawing out my key and simultaneously turning it into my staff. If Mei-Lin was shocked at my action she hid it well, focusing instead on tracking the near un-traceable foe. Continuing to dodge blow after blow, I blindly reached into my cards and drew out one.

_Please be Sword, please be Sword!_

To my chagrin, it wasn't sword. Instead, it was the Bubbles, a near-useless card in this situation. While I was trying to draw a new card, Mei-Lin cried out a warning half-a second too late.

"Sakura, behind you!"

My reaction was too slow, and as Mei-Lin was still forming the "you," my foe had wrapped itself around my neck, cutting off my oxygen. Mei-Lin's eyes widened as I floundered for breath, and she rushed to my side, clawing at the vice around my neck. All she managed to do was wear her fingers down. My noose continued to hang me.

"It's the Rope." Kero ground out, looking on helplessly as the Rope continued to loop itself around my neck. I was fairly sure my face was beginning to turn blue, and I continued to struggle for air.

With my last breath, I managed to croak out, "Bubbles! Help me!" The Bubbles glowed gold for a second, before releasing a pale blue mermaid child. Her hair was long and wavy and her eyes were clear and focused. A blue gemstone rested at her collar, glinting in the light from the lanterns. Gently, the mermaid reached down and slipped her hands between the Rope and my neck. The slimy bubble formula that coated her hands released the friction of the Rope, and it slithered uselessly off my neck. After a few seconds, the Rope disappeared. At the moment, I could care less. Gasping for air, I collapsed where I was standing. Thankfully, Mei-Lin wasn't stunned by the appearance of Bubbles and had enough foresight to be ready to catch me.

As I fell into her ready arms, I stared with a new appreciation at my newest Sakura Card. After its job had been finished, Bubbles had returned to her card after planting a soapy kiss on my neck. I found it easier to breath with her kiss, and my neck had stopped throbbing. The Bubbles was clutched firmly in my hand.

"I think you have some explaining to do, Sakura." Mei-Lin's voice was hard, and when I looked up into her eyes I found them cold and unmerciful. Gulping, I extracted myself from her arms and turned to face her, Kero at my shoulder.

"Use the Erase." Kero whispered in my air, his mouth barely moving.

"Spill it, Kinomoto. Or should I say Cardmistress?" Mei-Lin snarled, glaring at me. Her use of my last name hurt; I had thought we were friends.

_Friends don't exactly keep huge, life-threatening secrets from each other. _My conscience chimed in. I reluctantly looked at the situation from Mei-Lin's point of view. I could see why she was so angry. But how had she known about Cardmasters and Cardmistresses? I thought that it was a huge secret. At any rate, I guess my friendship with Mei-Lin Li was over.

As I was about to give up and answer her, Kero's words returned to me: "Use the Erase." What good would that do? It's not like I could erase the scars of what happened. I'd have to wipe her memory to do that. **Erase** her memory…

Too fast for Mei-Lin to react, I drew out what I felt was the right card. Sure enough, the writing on it read "The Erase." My key was already in its wand form, so I didn't have to bother transforming it. As a look of recognition began to emerge in Mei-Lin's eyes, I quickly threw the card into the air.

"Wipe the memories of the encounter with the Rope from Mei-Lin's mind! Erase!" A golden stream of mist emerged from the card, and swirled over to Mei-Lin. She struggled for half a second before submitting, and I saw Erase go to work. Erase was a grown woman clad in a white and yellow diamond-checkered jester's outfit. The twin prongs of her hat covered short, straight hair. Below her pointed chin was a giant white ruff. The grown jester was gently brushing a blue, shimmering cloth over Mei-Lin's lolling head. A thin wisp was being evaporated – erased – in the cloth. I figured this was Mei-Lin's memory of the event.

"Kero-chan, is this really alright? I feel like I'm betraying her." I frowned, unhappy. I hated deceiving friends, and this felt like the worst lie I had told. Worse than that, even, as I was physically erasing an actually event from the mind of one I considered a friend.

"It's for the best, Sakura." Kero was unusually serious, gazing steadily ahead at Erase working. "You saw Mei-Lin's reaction. This wasn't the right time to tell her."

"But I **will** have to tell her the truth eventually!" I protested. My eyes, too, were locked on Erase wiping Mei-Lin's memory.

"Either that, or she finds out the truth for herself. I think you would both prefer the former method. She already knows about the cards and the stray spirits, though how much I'm not sure. I can't sense any magic in her, so she shouldn't be trying to steal the cards from you, but you can never be sure. Just make sure to keep an eye on her."

I gulped at the meaning behind Kero's words. Mei-Lin an enemy? It couldn't be possible. But if it was…

Erase gently patted me on the shoulder, and gestured to Mei-Lin before winking at me and returning to her card. The bun-headed girl was still in a haze, but she would snap out of it soon. Frantically, I realized that I still bore the burn-marks from the Rope, and that I wouldn't be able to lie about how I had gotten them to Mei-Lin.

"Shoot!" I cried, ducking out of Mei-Lin's room and looking frantically for another room to jump into. I didn't want Wei to catch me looking like this either. A door presented itself to me and I seized the opportunity, finding myself crammed into a laundry room. Ah well, at least it was warm.

Rifling through my cards, I stopped when I found one that would work. The Twin card showed a picture of two small, impish beings. Like the Erase, they were clad in jester-like outfits, except theirs were a solid pastel yellow in color. One twin had blue eyes and hair, the other pink. Other than that small glitch, they were identical. I was briefly reminded of the Temperature as I called out Twin.

"Create a copy of me without any injuries! Twin!" My shout was muffled, as I didn't want anyone to hear me. Twin set to work, rearranging themselves until I was staring at an unmarred version of myself.

"Great job; now just walk back into Mei-Lin's room casually, claiming you've been using the bathroom. Don't mention anything about the Rope, or the cards, or why she might have a blank spot in her memory. If she asks you about it, play clueless. Distract her by asking her to teach you math. I'll stay in here; when she finished the lesson and shows you out of the house, knock twice on this door to let me know you're done. I'll try to sneak out as best I can. Did you get everything I was saying?"

My Twin nodded, flashing me a grin. It was eerie to see Twin-me grinning with my mouth. I fingered my own mouth uncertainly to make sure it was still there, and not on this other-me's face. Was this how Tomoyo had felt when she had seen her mirror self?

"Sakura-chan? Where'd you go? Don't tell me you're trying to avoid my math lessons!" I heard Mei-Lin's temper begin to kick in, and I practically shoved Twin-me out of the laundry door. At least Erase's memory-wiping had worked; Mei-Lin didn't sound as if she was confused by a blank spot in her memory.

"Go! And good luck!" I whispered, already lonely. Kero was back in my bag and there was no way for him to fly unnoticed to me. Clutching the cards and my wand to my chest, I drew comfort from the warmth of the spirits residing in the cards, both Clow and Sakura.

Praying Wei didn't have the sudden urge to run a load of whites, I settled myself down for a long, forlorn afternoon.


	12. Truth

**Can it be? Is it true? Did I actually upload the tenth chapter of Puppetmaster. Why, it must be a miracle!**

**I'm so sorry, guys! I meant to update quicker, I really did. But I broke my arm in December and could hardly type, then Christmas break began, and I've just finally recovered from a bad case of the writers-block ninjas. They're devious little things, I tell you! The worst part is, this is really a filler chapter. Chapter 11 is where is starts to get interesting! But I won't ruin it for you. (You'll understand when you start reading.) **

**Oh, one last thing. I'd like to thank GrossGirl18 for reviewing all (I think) of the posts I've done on this story! You rock! So, if you want, this chapter can be dedicated to you. Anyway, on to what you've been waiting months (I'm sorry!) for; the story!**

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The rest of the week passed, for once, without any major incidents occurring. Not a fiber of the Rope had been seen since Monday, and I was praying the calm would last. My hopes weren't too high; I was still recovering from my almost-hanging. I think I might have a fear of ropes for the rest of my life because of that episode. If I ever went rock climbing, lord help me.

Erase had worked; Mei-Lin had totally forgotten about the whole occurrence at her place. In fact, she seemed closer to me than ever. I was thankful for that, but I, on the other hand, was still incredibly jumpy around her, a fact that Tomoyo noticed immediately.

As soon as I had walked into the classroom Tuesday morning, Tomoyo was all over me, fussing about the details of what had happened on Monday. Some 6th sense of hers had told her that I had been in danger and using the Clow Cards (she had lamented missing the opportunity to play dress-up with me and video tape it). When it comes to things involving me, Tomoyo always seems to know everything. I guess that's what a best friend is. Of course, I told her everything. She, like Kero, agreed that it would be better for me to just straight-up tell Mei-Lin about my whole Cardmistress status. I agreed with both of them whole-heartedly; the fiery-spirited Chinese girl was slowly becoming closer to me than Chiharu, Naoko, Rika, and Takashi, though I had known her for a fraction of the time I had known them. The only problem was I didn't know _when_ to tell her!

_Sometime before that cousin of hers arrives, probably. If Mei-Lin-chan is aware of the Cards and the Book, then something tells me her cousin will be too. I wonder if her cousin could be that boy in the photograph she carries around with her. They certainly look alike; they both have strong eyes. Oh gosh, I don't know when I'll be able to tell Mei-Lin-chan about my magic! Will she be angry at me for keeping this a secret from her? She was so angry on Monday, and I hadn't even known her that well then! Wah, now I'm scared to tell her! What if she hates me? What if she thinks I'm lying? Well, that's easily solved; I can just show her my magic. But what if she hates me! I-_

My long, rambling thoughts were cut off by a sharp kick to my leg courtesy of Tomoyo. Turning towards her, I was about to hiss something insulting when I noticed that Terada-sensei was standing in front of my desk, looking disapprovingly down the bridge of his nose at me. Did I forget to mention I was in the middle of class while I was having these thoughts? Well I am, and it seems like I'm not doing a very good job paying attention.

"Kinomoto-sensei, would you mind telling us the reason for your daydreaming? Are you perhaps coming down with something? You've always been a bit, um, dreamy, but never to such an extent as this. In most classes you usually give almost a hundred percent of your attention, with the exception of classes involving Math." Everyone laughed good-naturedly at Terada-sensei's joke while I hid my head in my arms and blushed. Sensei was kind though, to ask if I was getting sick. There was no way I could tell him the real reason for my strange behavior. He'd have me committed to a mental institution!

"Don't worry Terada-sensei, I'm sure Sakura-chan's fine. She's probably just worrying about the problem you assigned at the beginning of last week. She's been having such trouble coming up with a topic. I've decided to help her. Isn't that right, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo kicked me again when I showed no signs of responding to her question. (I was already returning to the problem of Mei-Lin hating me.)

Jerking up, I answered with the very intelligent-sounding, "Yeah-huh?"

"See what I mean, Sensei? Sakura-chan is too immersed in her **worrying** about the **project **to pay **attention** in **class**." Tomoyo highlighted each important point with a jab to my calf. Gritting my teeth, I bore through it. She was, after all, helping me out of a sticky situation.

"That's right, Terada-sensei! I'm trying to come up with all sorts of wonderful ideas for the, um, the project!" I finished lamely, having no clue whatsoever as to what the project was.

"Okay Kinomoto-san, if you say so…" Terada-sensei trailed off, his eyebrows knitting together. "If you begin to feel sick, just tell me and I'll send you immediately to the nurse's room." Returning to the front of the room, Sensei resumed the lesson.

Turning to Tomoyo, I murmured a quiet "thank you." In return, she mouthed "no problem." I don't know how much trouble I'd be in without my friends to help me out of all the situations I got myself into.

Facing the front of the class, I proceeded to try to pay attention. Then I proceeded to give up on trying to pay attention and returned my thoughts to the topic of Mei-Lin. First however, I offered up a silent prayer that Terada-sensei wouldn't catch my mind wandering off again. Then I slipped a note to Tomoyo asking her to warn me if Sensei started to become suspicious. Finally, I could slip in peace into my mind.

As everyone who's ever thought knows (which is everybody I should hope), the mind is not a neat, orderly place; it's quite the opposite, actually. My mind is especially unorganized. Ideas, feelings, memories, thoughts, and other brain-children float through in random streams, some taking their time to amble across my mindscape while others whiz by. Reading my mind would be incredibly difficult, not that anyone's ever tried. (Though, actually, I can't be sure of that fact anymore, not now when I know about such things as magicians and magic exist in our world.) Hence, organizing my thoughts to focus on one specific thread takes a huge effort of will and needs all my attention directed towards it. I can't focus on other, trivial things like learning while I'm racking my brain.

In a bit (or what seemed like a bit; with brain-searching there's no unit of time) I had located my thought process concerning Mei-Lin. Boy, was it muddled! Not only was it confused, it also held traces of fear, uncertainty, and reluctance. I hated to admit it, but it was looking like the only reason I hadn't spilled the beans to Mei-Lin was not because the right time hadn't presented itself, but because I hadn't been looking for the right time. In other words, the only thing holding me back was, in reality, me.

A kick to the shin via Tomoyo (I was gonna have a _huge_ bruise there tomorrow) brought me reeling back to reality just in time to hear Terada-sensei asking me if I was had been paying attention to his announcement.

"Hai Sensei, of course!" I responded energetically, trying to put as much paying-attention-ness into my words as possible. Sensei still looked doubtful, but thankfully the bell signaling the end of the day rang at that precise moment. I was free.

"You caught a lucky break, Sakura-chan! What I wouldn't give for your good fortune…" Mei-Lin teased me, nudging my shoulder with hers.

"Saved by the bell!" Chiharu piped in, earning a few giggles from everyone present.

"All you missed was Terada-sensei announcing the arrival of a new student on Friday." Rika informed me in her soft voice.

"Isn't that your cousin, Mei-Lin-chan?" Naoko inquired.

"Yeah, actually. Wow, I didn't realize the week had passed by so quickly!" Mei-Lin exclaimed. I couldn't help but notice how deftly she steered the conversation away from her cousin.

"Did you know that in some cultures, their week used to be composed of only six days? For example, in ancient Rome the emperor wanted to have a giant week-long feast, but only had enough food for six days. So, since he was the emperor, he ordered the week to be shortened by a day so he could hold his feast! Coincidentally, in Greece-" Takashi was cut off from his stories as Chiharu grabbed hold of his ear and tugged him off. Laughing, Naoko and Rika followed. As usual, I had been so wrapped up in his tales that I had hardly noticed anything else. With a start, I realized that Terada-sensei had left, and that we – Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, and I – were the only ones left in the classroom.

Tomoyo politely excused herself to the choir room, whispering "Now or never!" to me as she passed. Gulping, I turned to Mei-Lin, who was staring intently at me as if trying to figure out why I was acting so nervously.

"Ano, Mei-Lin? On Monday, you said you were here for family business. What exactly did that mean?" I questioned hesitantly, looking for a way to subtly steer her in the direction of the Cards and Book.

"Oh, nothing much. Sorry, but it's sorta personal." Mei-Lin avoided the topic with ease, and I growled to myself. Glancing down, I noticed a small yellow hand giving me a "thumbs-up" emerging from my bag. I smiled at Kero's encouragement before I realized that the thumb would be visible to Mei-Lin and bring up questions I was still trying to steel myself to answer. Hurriedly, I kicked the bag with my foot, and the thumb disappeared with a muffled curse.

_Sorry, Kero-chan! I'll make it up to you, I promise!_ I gave a silent apology, already coming up with a list of pudding ingredients in my head to satisfy the ever-hungry Guardian Beast.

"What was that?" Mei-Lin asked, staring hardly at my bag, as if she could somehow look inside of it with the sheer force of her gaze.

Ignoring her question completely, I fired one of my own at her. "Well, can you at least tell me if this family business has anything to do with the cousin of yours coming to Tomoeda next Monday?" I asked, crossing my fingers behind my back.

"It does. Actually, he probably has more to do with it than me. I was just sent here to scout – Why? Who wants to know?" Mei-Lin cut herself off, glancing at me with suspicion.

Great, I had just made it worse. Now Mei-Lin didn't trust me. Holding my face in my hands I murmured, "It wasn't supposed to go like this. God Sakura, you're such an idiot."

Doubtfully, Mei-Lin questioned, "Go like what?"

Straightening up, I boldly asked her, "Promise me you won't kill me until after I'm done talking, okay?" When Mei-Lin reluctantly nodded, I took a deep breath and started explaining.

I won't go into the details, **(A/N: Because I'm too lazy to summarize all that I've written! :p)** but there were quite a few times when I had to stop Mei-Lin from interrupting and quite a few times when she interrupted anyway. I left out a few parts, mainly the part about the sword that had almost killed me and Tomoyo's sort of-kidnapper. (I didn't want to tell Mei-Lin anything about Tomoyo's personal issues without Tomoyo's approval.) By the end of my story, I was out of breath and afraid of what Mei-Lin's reaction would be.

"So," She started out normally, but I still winced as if her words were sharp and unforgiving, "You're telling me that the whole time I've known you, you were the Cardmistress I'm supposed to be looking for? And you erased my memory on Monday!" Uh-oh. Mei-Lin was close to blowing up, and I braced myself for the explosion.

"It's not Sakura-chan's fault!" Kero unexpectedly flew up from his hiding place, coming to my defense. "I was the one who told her to erase your memory. It was the only way the two of you could stay friends, and it gave Sakura-chan a chance to tell you the truth herself, like she just did." I glanced gratefully up at Kero as Mei-Lin stared on in confusion.

"She can be a bit air-headed sometimes, forget to give someone their well-deserved pudding, and occasionally get a bit violent with her kicks and swats," Kero stared at me, and I looked away, shamed at his implied message, "But her heart is 100% genuine. I don't know why you want the Book and Cards, or how you know about them for that matter, but the cards chose Sakura. She is the rightful Cardmistress." Warmth spread in my chest at Kero's speech. I never knew he thought so highly of me, despite the thinly veiled insults in the first part of his conversation.

"Kero-chan!" I exclaimed happily, forgetting for a moment Mei-Lin was there and hugging my guardian beast with all my strength.

"Does this mean extra pudding?" Kero remarked hopefully.

"Of course! Thank you, Kero-chan!" I replied, giving him one last squeeze before releasing him. Turning to Mei-Lin, I blurted out, "Do you hate me now?"

The Chinese girl stared at me for a few seconds, shell-shocked, before breaking into a wide grin and giving me a squeeze. I squeaked in protest until she released me and then looked at her, confused.

"How could anyone hate you, Sakura-chan? You're too lovable!" Mei-Lin supplied, still grinning at me.

"But, but, on Monday you were furious at me for keeping this a secret from you!" I cried, my mind thoroughly baffled by her strange attitude towards my revelation.

Shrugging, Mei-Lin stated, "I didn't know you as well on Monday. Plus, today you told me yourself the truth of the matter. I can't **wait** to see Syaoran-kun's face when he learns who the Cardmistress is. Priceless!" Mei-Lin broke off into laughter as I continued to stare at her, a bewildered expression pasted across my face.

"But, but, but…" I stammered, still trying to convey to Mei-Lin that she should be furious at me, not laughing at the expense of this "Syaoran" person, who I guessed was her cousin.

"Earlier you asked about the family business?" Mei-Lin started, "Well, I'm part of the Li Clan of China. I was sent here to Tomoeda to try to find the source of the sudden burst of magic felt here. Though I don't have any magic myself, I'm one of the best martial artists in the Clan. Plus, I'm close to Syaoran, who's my cousin coming on Monday. The Clan figured that we'd work best together to figure out what happened. I just never guessed that the cause of it would be **you**! Oh, and I'm guessing the flying stuffed toy over there is the legendary Keroberos? He doesn't look that ferocious to me!" Mei-Lin broke out into laughter again, and this time I joined her. Kero's protests went ignored by both of us.

"Then," I started hopefully, "You're still my friend?"

"Of course, silly! Why wouldn't I be?" Mei-Lin smiled at me. I felt as if the world had been taken off my shoulders.

"Thank goodness! In that case, can you teach me some martial arts? I have Fight helping me right now, but I think it'd be good to have multiple teachers." I hope I wasn't asking something of her too soon. It seemed the question was the right one to ask however, as Mei-Lin's eyes took on a strange sort of gleam I had seen in Tomoyo's eyes whenever she was about to dress me up and videotape me. Was I going to regret my request?

"How about we start your lessons right now? We can head to Penguin Park I think, and find somewhere out of the way of prying eyes!" Mei-Lin exclaimed, and before I had a chance to respond she was dragging me out of the classroom and down empty hallways. Everything was back to normal, sort of. I had a nagging feeling that Monday would bring more surprises. Right now, I was just going to go with it and rejoice in the fact that I hadn't lost a friend and that I had one more person in which to share my Cardmistress business.

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**Guess who's coming next chapter? I'll try to update quicker, but no promises! (You can see how well my last promise of an update went...) Thanks for reading this far; hopefully it'll get more interesting from this point onwards!**

**~Winged**


	13. He Enters, Then: Introducing Syaoran

**Tada! I present you with Chapter 11! One of these days I'm gonna actually get around to naming all of them... (If anyone has any ideas, they'd be welcome!) Sorry it took a while. I had this great idea for the chapter, and I got all excited! I sat down at the computer, booted up Word, and... Nothing. Nada. Ziltch. I couldn't write anything! I hate starting chapters. And I hate ending them. Very rarely will I have a good idea for the start or finish of them. I'll stop rambling now and let you read the actual story (if you havn't already skipped over my blabber), so enjoy!**

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I awoke with a beautiful shade of amber seared into my mind. A strange, nagging feeling accompanied it, leading me to believe there was something I should be doing or remembering, yet nothing came to mind. The amber color, though, filled me with warmth and serenity. It was a good color, a protective color. Shaking my head, I tried to rattle the thought I was looking for to the front of my mind, but it proved unsuccessful. Sighing, I turned over to check my alarm. Through a haze of amber, I could just barely make out the glowing numbers: 5:30. That was odd; I almost never woke up before my alarm on a school day before.

Rubbing my eyes (the amber afterimage still lingered behind my irises), I glanced at the alarm again to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. 5:31. Yep, I was defiantly up early. Shrugging of the nagging feeling, I stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, the amber lights spotting my vision and making it hard to see. Scrabbling around for my toothbrush, I chanced a glance up in the mirror. No good; everything was still awash in the yellow-brown.

_Is this some sort of prediction?_ Squinting, I could just barely make out a petite girl, her short hair mussed from sleeping and her honest eyes turned hazel. Had I always looked so childish? Next to Tomoyo, I was defiantly awkward and plain. A loser, a nobody…

_Wait, hold up. Where are those thoughts coming from? Surely they can't be caused by the amber! It leaves such a nice feeling…_

Looking harder, I could see veins of purple running through the amber in my vision, corrupting it and turning it a sickly shade. The purple was the cause of my self-hatred. Glaring at the invasive shade, I willed it to go away. The stubborn color wouldn't move. Glaring harder, I backed my will with my magic, shoving away the purple. The purple vanished, leaving me feeling horrid and drained. Toothbrush long forgotten at this point, I dragged my way over to my bed, casting myself upon it and letting the amber wash away the lingering _badness_.

Eventually I found enough strength to move myself into the lotus position, hands perched palm-up on my bent knees. Something other than my brain had moved me into a meditation position. It didn't feel like the dark force from earlier, so I allowed my body to relax, cleared my mind, and slowly drifted away.

Kero was the one who pulled me out of my meditation.

"Sakura-chan! Hey, Sakura-chan! Snap out of it! You're gonna be late for school!" Kero yelled, flitting about me nervously and tugging at my hair and clothes. His last statement got me moving.

"Wah! Latelatelatelatelatelatelate, I'm LATE!" I cried, immediately jumping up and tearing off my pajama shirt and pants. So much for my former peaceful mood! Grabbing my uniform, I struggled to get the shirt over my head while simultaneously pulling on the skirt and doing the tie. A note to all: Sometimes multitasking is not the best option, especially when the multitasking is preformed under stress or pressure. I ended up with my skirt on my shoulders, my head half-way through one of the arm sleeves, and my tie around my thigh. It took longer to work my way out of that awkward dressing and into my proper uniform than if I had taken time to do it right from the start. I'd only been awake for a couple minutes (awake from meditation, that is), and had already learned a life-lesson. Today was just going to be one of those days.

Rushing down the stairs, I almost tripped over one of Touya's college textbooks.

"TOUYA! JUST 'CAUSE YOU'RE HOME ON VACATION FROM COLLEGE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR CRUD EVERYWHERE! YOUR TEXTBOOK ALMOST KILLED ME!" I could be very loud when I wanted to be.

Stuffing some random breakfast bar in my mouth, I mumbled a quick goodbye to 'Tou-san and stumbled out the door, this time nearly killing myself on my onii-chan's pencil case.

"TOUYAAAAAAAAAAA!"

I hurridly put on one skate and was off, gliding on one leg while strapping the other skate on to my foot, school satchel clutched in my teeth. (I have a very strong jaw!) Kero had to struggle to reach me; I had forgotten to stuff him in my satchel this morning in my haste to get out the door. Barely paying attention to what he was yelling at me and where I was going, I set my mind on achieving only one thing: More speed!

I might just have set a record for the time I needed to get to school. Seven minutes, at most, was the time it took me to reach campus grounds. That's some serious speed skating! If I had the ambition, I could probably win races.

Dumping my skates and sneakers in my locker and slipping on my indoor shoes, I almost flew down the hall in my haste to beat Sensei inside the classroom. Luck was with me today (sort of). I made it within a five meter radius of my class just as Sensei was stepping up to the door.

"Sensei, behind you; flying monkey!" I yelled and pointed, Terada-sensei's gaze following my finger. Sliding past him and into the classroom, I managed to slip into my seat just as a bemused Sensei entered the classroom.

"Flying monkeys? Really?" Chiharu whispered at me, and then turned to Takashi, who had just begun to utter some outlandish story about monkeys gaining wings. "Don't even start."

Takashi, subdued, sat back in his seat as Chiharu patted his head to rid him of his pouting and told him "Good boy."

Takashi perked up at that, and we all laughed appreciatively before Naoko commented, "But really Sakura-chan, flying monkeys are so unimaginative. Couldn't you have come up with something better, like Polka-dancing pirates, or Swedish-speaking sushi? Heck, even 'Look, it's a man-eating quilt!' would have been better than flying monkeys." Naoko shook her head at my 'unimaginative'-ness.

"I'm just glad you made it in time!" Rika whispered to me, smiling. She was as gentle and caring as always, and from the corner of my eye I caught Sensei staring at her lovingly. Who cared if they were teacher and student; their age gap wasn't that wide considering some of the more outlandish marriages of Japan's past and they were so cute together!

"Yeah, you're so fast!" Mei-Lin praised, eying me appreciatively and drawing my attention away from Sensei's fondness. "Oh, that reminds me; my cousin comes today!"

"Oh yeah, it's Monday! I completely forgot!" I blurted out my thoughts (again), and then blushed as everyone began to giggle.

"Ah Sakura-chan, you're too cute!" Tomoyo squealed, squeezing me around the neck.

At the front of the room, Sensei cleared his throat. "Well Kinomoto-san, I tip my hat to how incredibly lucky you are!" He smiled at me, and I relaxed a bit. I'd been worrying that Terada-sensei would punish me for my sneaky entrance into the classroom, but I should have known better. Terada-sensei was a good person, and he hated to dole out punishments. It was true that I was abnormally lucky; I liked to think it was because my mother was looking over me as my personal guardian angel.

"And as Li-san mentioned, there will be another Li joining us today. In fact, he should be arriving shortly. Li-san, I believe he is your cousin, no?" Terada-sensei questioned, turning his gaze towards Mei-Lin.

"Hai, Sensei! Actually, in the past he was my fiancé!" Mei-Lin stuck her tongue out at this, "But that was the past. I do admit, back then I was head over heels for him. now I think that marrying him would be awkward! I mean, we're close, but we just don't click that way. He is one of my best friends, though."

_Mei-Lin had a fiancé? But she's only what, fifteen? I suppose 'Kaa-chan did fall in love with 'Tou-san when she was in high school, but still! Mei-Lin, in a marriage promise? Mei-Lin doesn't really seem the type to be tied down by another; her spirit is too free for a marriage contract!_

"Hmm, I hope he doesn't kill me for telling the class that." Mei-Lin pondered quietly, staring absently at the ceiling.

"Why would he? Isn't being engaged something that's pretty public?" I asked, confused.

"Not if it's a secret, silly! Though I don't think I have anything to worry about, now that the engagement's been cancelled." Was I imagining things, or was there a note of regret in Mei-Lin's voice? She said earlier that marrying him now would be awkward, so she must be over him! My mind was just playing tricks on me. Right?

I noticed that Tomoyo also had a calculating look on her face. Maybe my imagination wasn't as fantastical as I had thought! I was about to quietly ask Tomoyo what she thought of Mei-Lin's past puppy love when the door to the classroom opened and a boy walked in.

I didn't get to see much of his other features, as my eyes were immediately drawn to his own stunning amber ones, which seemed to have been drawn to my own. We stared at each other for a total of two seconds before my mind finally made the connection as to why his eyes seemed so familiar.

_They're the same shade from my dream-!_ And then I found myself drowning in an amber wave, washed out to a tawny sea.

Eventually I broke the surface of the sea and found myself kneeling upon a golden shore. Before me a gilded path led up to a white temple. My body started moving of its own accord, leading me up the steps and towards the building. This type of control didn't feel maleficent, as the puppet and its master's evil marionette strings had, but comforting, like a mother's guiding hand leading me on. Even the effort it took to climb the stairs was numbed into a pleasant stroll.

_This is a good place._ I absent-mindedly thought, glancing around lazily. As I approached the top of the hill and the temple seated there, I noticed a figure clad in white waiting outside for me. Confused, I hesitated in my steps and the gentle, guiding presence quickly withdrew, as if it didn't want to lead me further than I was comfortable.

"_Peace, my child."_ Although the figure in front of me did not speak, I could somehow tell the sound was from them. Their gender was indistinguishable; they had fine features like a woman but a strong expression that was more masculine. A flowing white robe covered their figure, giving away nothing of body shape and structure. Their hair was long but tied back, coiled into a double loop at the base of their neck. Even their voice was neutral. Wait, hadn't I heard a voice with this same sound before?

"You're the one from my dream!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger at the figure.

A strange, bell-like sound filled the air. It took me a moment to figure out that it was the person's (if they could even be considered human; there was something ethereal about them) laughter.

"_Yes, little Cherry Blossom."_ I guess the figure saw the question I was about to ask, for they held a finger to their lips and spoke softly. _"You needn't worry yourself with where we are. It is safe, and I can protect you here if need be. However, I don't think anyone would do anything to you, what with the Gentle One, the Fighter, and the Little Wolf all gathered around you. Why, even Sun Lion is there, though I see he has yet to turn to his true form. Don't worry, that will come, as will the arrival of the Moon Angel and the Clever One."_

The voice of the being was soothing, and I found it hard to focus on my questions. "Am I-" A giant yawn broke off my phrase, "Am I dreaming? The last time I saw you, you rescued me from that horrible nightmare." Just thinking of the creepy voice and its evil intentions sent shivers down my spine.

A wave of comfort washed over me, flowing from the being. _"You mustn't worry about that here; have I not told you that you are safe? And no, you are not dreaming. At least, you are not asleep. I believe your world would call this a 'daydream?' Yes, you are daydreaming. Your friends will attribute your blank stare to your usual imaginative nature."_

'Imaginative nature?' If by that they meant airheaded-ness, I took some slight offense. But the presence of the white being was enough to sooth me, even if their indeterminate gender made my head spin.

"Alright." I started, "So, why did you want to see me? A transfer student just arrived, and I don't want to seem rude by drifting off!"

"_He will understand. After all, he is the Little Wolf. He- well, I'll let you figure that out for yourself!"_ I swear I detected a hint of a smile in their gentle, toneless voice. _"As for why I brought you here, it is to inform and help you. I believe you are familiar with a spirit that goes by the name of the Rope?"_

Instantly my hands flew to my neck, where just last week the cruel spirit had wound its way around the tender skin there and blocked my windpipe. The being was at my side in a flash, their gentle hands slowly drawing my own from my neck and massaging the skin I had grabbed to work the blood flow back to normal. I didn't realize I had been clutching myself so tightly.

"_It's okay my child. Remember, I am here and you are safe. What I need to tell you is that the Rope itself is not truly evil. Rather, that which controls it is the one to be frightened of. I am sorry to bring up another unpleasant memory, but do you remember the miserable creature from your earlier nightmares?"_ I nodded curtly; how could I forget?

"_It is the one behind all this. I do not know what it looks like, or even what it is, just that it has the power to control. We call it the Puppetmaster. It had bound to its will many lost and wandering spirits. You must free them. The Rope is one of these spirits; I believe Clow Reed did not have the time nor the magic to befriend every spirit. There were plenty he overlooked."_

That would explain the Temperature, then. It would also explain why the Rope ignored the magic-less Mei-Lin and targeted only me. It had been commanded to do so. And I couldn't really blame Clow Reed for not befriending every spirit. He had already found plenty, and it seemed as if there were plenty more yet to be seen! I doubted I would manage to befriend even half the amount he had.

"_Your magic far outshines Clow Reed's."_ The being seemed to read my mind, answering my thoughts as if I had spoken them aloud. _"I would love to continue talking, but I must let you go soon, before your daydreaming becomes too suspicious. I would just like to offer you a bit of help and a warning. First, the help."_ The being reached down and touched the place where my heart lay beating in my chest. It was where I kept my Cards.

From the deck, four cards began to glow and flew out to hover in front of my face. The Cloud, the Glow, the Lock, and the Voice.

"_In honor of the four of you coming together for the first time, I've decided to help you out with these four cards. I will lend you my power to transform these Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. You will need to transform all the cards if you are to truly unlock your full magical potential and be able to face the Puppetmaster. Please, draw your key."_

They guided my hand as I released my star key into my staff. I felt a warm white force fill me, guiding my own pink force out and through the staff. Following my instincts, I turned towards each of the four cards hovering in front of me and tapped them with the star head of my wand. Each began to glow brighter as pink overtook their former reddish-brown hues. As the cards changed, their spirits appeared above their paper homes.

The first, Cloud, was a pale dusty rose in color and bore resemblance to both Twin and Temperature in her impish figure. She had puffy hair, a fluffy collar and cuffs, and a downy skirt that all resembled clouds. A blue cloud wisp adorned her forehead, tucked between two long bangs that hung down to her shoulders and mixed in with her collar. Diamond stockings led down to her feet, hidden in a bed of clouds that she rested on. Smiling at me, Cloud gave me a small peck on my cheek and retreated to her card.

Next was Glow. She resembled Tinkerbell from the classic tale of Peter Pan, as she looked very much like small pixie or fairy. She was clad in a soft green leotard with two long coattails stretching back behind her. Ballet slippers adorned her feet, each featuring a cotton ball-like fluff on top. Her hair was gathered in twin buns above her pointed ears, covered by white, feathery miniature caps. In her hands she held a strange plant, at the end of which rested a curious glowing bud. In addition to her strange flower, her entire body was surrounded by a soft light. Flitting up to me, she bumped the end of my nose with her own small one before returning to her card.

The Lock was more stoic, as it didn't have a face with which to display its emotion. Yet even its lock-shaped, silver surface seemed to be smiling at me. The wings that surrounded its simple keyhole fluttered at me, as if encouraging me to continue caring for them, the spirits. I think Lock even bowed to me as it went back into its card.

The final spirit, the Voice, resembled a young girl. Her long pink hair flowed out behind her back and two white wings sprouted from the sides of her head. She was wearing a curious dress; its sleeves hung down a ways past her hands and were styled in the pattern of a bird's wings. The bottom of the dress ended in long feathers that brushed the ground, even though she was hovering a good four feet above it. Her being radiated cheer.

"_Thank you, Cardmistress!"_ Voice had the voice of an angel; sweet, pure, and melodious. She bent to kiss my hand, brushing it with her little pink lips, and then slipped back into her card with a wide grin on her face.

"_They all love you so much."_ In the wonder of meeting my four new spirits, I had almost forgotten about the white being who had been lending me their help. Checking myself, I found I was not in the least bit tired from transforming four cards one after the other. In fact, I had more energy than when I started.

"Thank you!" I smiled up at the being and they smiled back. From above my head, a rumbling "Sakura-chan!" echoed, sounding strangely like Tomoyo's voice.

"_Once again, the Gentle One sees it fit to break up our meeting!"_ Again the gentle laughter of the being sounded, filling me with a wondrous, warm emotion. _"I will let you go with the warning I promised earlier. The Puppetmaster controls not just individual spirits, but groups of them. The Rope belongs to one of its favorite groups – the Threads. Beware of the other members, and of the other groups. Remember, I am always with you. You know how to reach me. Good luck, my Cherry Blossom."_ Waving one slender hand over me, the being sent my consciousness back to my body.

I slowly blinked my eyes, Tomoyo's face filling my vision as the blurry images and colors came into focus.

"I know you're a bit of a space case sometimes, but drifting off during the arrival of a new student is rude." Tomoyo gently reprimanded me.

"I'm sorry, but the circumstances were… _special_." I replied under my breath, hoping Tomoyo would catch my meaning. She did, raising her eyebrows at me. Mei-Lin, too, caught my soft words.

"Inform us later." She commanded under her breath. I nodded.

"Ah, well, you should apologize to Li-san, not me." It took me a while to figure out that Tomoyo was talking about the new transfer student, and not Mei-Lin. Turning towards the front of the room, I lowered myself into a bow and began to apologize, not ready yet to meet the intense amber eyes I had glimpsed earlier.

"Li-san, please forgive me for-" I froze. My body wouldn't move, my voice wouldn't sound. My eyes, wide and panicked, stared at the floor in horror as I struggled to move my mouth, my fingers, my feet, _anything_! Nothing worked.

"Kinomoto-san, please tell me you aren't drifting off again!" Terada-sensei's bemused voice entered my ears, and I struggled to reply to his words. Yet my voice just wouldn't come out. Threads of purple silk were slithering across the floor towards me. I frantically began struggling to release myself from this wicked spell, but it was to no avail. The familiar strings wound their way around my ankles, slipping under my clothes and vanishing into my core.

Suddenly, my chest erupted in pain and I fell to the ground, my hands clutching my heart and my eyes rolling back in my head. I knew the strings were the cause.

_"Hello, Cardmistress!"_ A dark, taunting voice filled my head, so different from the soothing voice I had conversed with earlier_. "So sorry to interrupt you meeting with the mutt, but I really just __**had**__ to! After all, that damn white one interrupted me earlier, you remember, when I was playing that wonderful game of Simon-Says with you! I'm just returning the favor, although I seem to have missed the old white fellow. No matter, I'll just play with you instead!"_

It was the Puppetmaster! I tried to scream for help, for mercy, but my voice wouldn't work. Nothing would work. All I felt was pain, a black, searing pain, engulfing my heart and my magic. I think I began to cry, for I could vaguely feel a wet substance running down my cheeks.

"Oh my god." I could hear Mei-Lin's muffled voice, "She's crying tears of _blood_!" Blood tears? My mind tried to comprehend if this was good or bad, but I was wrenched from my thoughts when another wave of pain washed over me. I think I might've started to hyperventilate, for I could hear gasps. At least I was still breathing.

"Somebody call 911!" A voice cried, but I was unable to distinguish who it was. **(A/N: I don't know what the emergency line is in other countries [Namely Japan], but in the U.S. it's 911.)** I was drowning again, though I was fairly sure that I wouldn't be washing up upon some golden shore and cared for by a kind being. This time I would sink to the bottom of this dark purple sea, never to be found again.

Then I was being lifted into the air, a pair of strong arms supporting me. A warm green aura washed over me, forcefully driving back the dark purple aura of the Puppetmaster and supporting my own pink aura so that I could begin to push back the pain.

"_Damn him."_ The Puppetmaster hissed, withdrawing his presence from my mind. _"Ah well, there's always next time, my dear! And maybe this time, I'll drag him along with you! Ta-ta for now!"_

As the ominous Puppetmaster retreated, my breathing quieted and the waves of wetness stopped spilling over my cheeks. I was aware that now I was being carried and moving at a fairly fast rate. I was aware that now I was being set down on a soft bed. I was aware that now I was being rushed in an ambulance to the hospital. I was aware that now someone was holding my hand and steadily supplying me with a green magic.

Embracing the magic, I clutched the hand of the provider as if it was my lifeboat and slowly drifted off into a calm sea of green and amber, a feeling of comfort replacing the earlier emotions of panic and pain.

* * *

**So, I know I promised Syaoran, but I hardly put him in here... I'm sorry! But I just had this idea, and I had to get it down! Please forgive me! He'll be in the later chapters, I promise! (And maybe next chapter Sakura will actually learn his name!) (*Facepalm*)**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! I really have no clue what I'm gonna do for my next chapter (heh heh), so just sit tight for a while! I promise I won't take months!**


	14. Wear and Care

**Another fashionably late update! Woot, rhyming skills! Sorry for the wait guys. This time, it's late out of my sheer laziness. I knew what I wanted to do with this chapter for a while, but when I started writing it, it kinda went its own way and reshaped itself. Like, the ending was totally diffrent from the one I had in mind. But I like this one better, because it gives me someting to base the next chapter on! XD Is is sad that I don't know where the heck this story is headed? You guys probably have a better guess at the ending than I do! I just know its not gonna be ending anytime soon!**

**Anyways, I've started babbling again. Sorry! Before you start reading, I just wanna thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or even smiled to themselves by reading my work. Actually, all the reviews I got pressured me to finish this today! There were a couple of questions and ideas, and I'll take them into mind. I think I might just have Sakura make her own guardian, if its not too Mary-Sue-y. Maybe I'll find some way to spin it off The Hope... Oh, but don't worry! Kero and Yue will still be with her. As for the color of Syaoran's magic, it's green. Amber is just the color of his eyes, and that's what Sakura got swept away by!**

**Just a quick warning: Mei-Lin will be having some mood swings. Oh, and it gets pretty angsty towards the end, heh-heh... And I think I've used up my A/N word quota for today. Enjoy!**

* * *

I woke up in a foreign room, dazed, confused, and with one heck of a headache. So of course my natural reaction was one of panic.

"Wah! Where am I? What happened? Why is everything so _white_?" I cried, jerking my body upright and frantically casting my gaze about myself. Nothing was familiar. A tangy smell filled my nose, and after a few seconds of sniffing the air I could detect the dizzy scent of a multitude cleaning liquids. A sudden pain in my right arm made me gasp and draw my arm closer to myself, causing another pain. Turning to look at the source of my injury, I saw that I was hooked up to a pumping system of some sort that was feeding me – through a needle that pierced my right arm – clear fluids of some sort.

"Wait, why am I hooked up to this thing? They only appear in…" I trailed off, finally realizing why everything around me was so white and sterile.

"I'm in a hospital!" I proclaimed aloud to nobody in particular, absurdly proud of myself for realizing this. "Now the only question is why I'm here…"

"Sakura-chan!" A high-pitched voice cried. Whipping my head around, I tried to find the source of the voice, my muddled brain unable to recognize it.

"Who's there?" I called, my left hand (the one that wasn't attached to the collection of tubes) flying up towards where my star key lay hidden underneath my hospital gown. Pausing, I glanced down at what I was wearing. Huh, funny. I thought I had been in my school uniform before this. Who had changed me?

"Geez Sakura-chan, chill! It's okay, you're safe! That evil thing isn't here anymore." My brain finally connected the dots and I recognized the voice.

"Kero-chan?" I called out hesitantly, "Where are you?"

"Right here!" Kero proclaimed, drifting down to land on my lap, grinning at me with his small, sharp teeth.

"What happened? I don't remember anything…" I broke off, bringing my hand from my chest to my head and trying to massage away the growing pain in my temples.

"You don't? Well, first that new kid came in – you know, Mei-Lin-chan's cousin? Yeah, him. He's got a pretty powerful aura. Anyway, he stepped in and poof! You were off exploring dreamland, I think with another spirit. Then Tomoyo-chan snapped you out of it and you were bowing to Sensei and the kid when you collapsed and started convulsing, or at least that's what I heard. I was in your bag the entire time, being a good little guardian beast and not showing myself, even though it was killing me to hear you going through so much pain. At one point I heard Mei-Lin-chan say you were crying tears of blood! Then I heard that the new kid picked you up and rushed you outside to the ambulance. You calmed down one he picked you up – I think it was because his aura helped yours, though I can't be sure. Tomoyo-chan had the foresight to pick your bag up – me included – and take it with her to the hospital. She left just now with Mei-Lin-chan to go get some food. Oh, the new kid's somewhere around here as well, or so I was told. I haven't seen him yet."

I had stayed quiet throughout Kero's whole story as the memories his words brought slowly trickled through the swamps of my memory into the forefront of my mind. Just thinking about the horrible purple aura brought shivers to my spine. The Puppetmaster. At least now I had a name for whomever or whatever it was that had been causing me so much pain.

And speaking of pain, my headache wasn't going away. Angrily, I rubbed my head, trying to force the pain out.

Noticing my discomfort, Kero spoke up. "Try using Flower. I'm sure she's got some sort of medicinal bloom to help with headaches."

Giving Kero a brief nod (even that small action sent my head reeling) I slowly tried to reach for my bag and the cards I could feel inside it. (My guess is that Tomoyo had moved the cards from my person to the bag at some point to keep others from discovering them.) My body wouldn't obey. Grunting in frustration, I stretched my arm out farther, but I just couldn't find the strength to move it far enough to reach the flaunting strap of my bag. Seeing my pitiful efforts, Kero flew down into the bag, rummaged around for a bit, and brought out my deck. Gently placing it in my outstretched hand, the little guardian beast sent me a worried look. Smiling back at him in what I could only hope was a reassuring manner, I drew my star key out.

As the key turned into my custom-fit staff, I drew The Flower out of the deck and gave it a light tap. A beautiful woman emerged, as pink as the newly-made Sakura Card. Her gown (pink, of course) drew tight around her waist and then fluttered out in petals of silky fabric down to her thin ankles. Her hair was a light pink color and curled into two bouncing pigtails placed at the top of her head. On each of her wrists she wore a corsage of a fragrant pink flower. An elegant pink gemstone was placed upon her forehead and two large blossoms decorated her ears. The kindest smile I had ever witnessed (except maybe in distant memories of my mother, or when Tomoyo was caring for me) was etched into her face. She carried with her the scent of springtime and a medley of a thousand different flowers.

"Flower?" I asked, and her smile widened at the sound of my voice, "Do you have anything that can help with headaches?"

The woman took a few seconds to think before producing a white blossom with a cheerful sunny-yellow center and a long stem and a couple stray leaves.

_"Feverfew."_ I heard in my head, and I could tell it was Voice talking to me on Flower's instructions. _"Just take a couple leaves from the flower to reduce the headache."_ Doing as I had been told, I removed three leaves from the stem and chewed them. They had a strange taste, though not altogether nasty. Winking at me, Flower took the bloom from me and pressed it between her palms. Almost instantly I felt better, my headache disappearing and my energy somewhat returning.

"Thank you!" I told Flower, and she engulfed me in a sweet-smelling hug before joyously returning to her card. The only thing left behind was the faint odor of blossoms. As I was struggling to put the card away and return my wand to its staff, the door burst open.

"Hoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" I cried, frantically shoving the staff under my pillow – praying it would shrink quickly – as Kero dive-bombed into my bag, wiggling his way under all the crud. My staff did shrink, but not quickly enough. During this ordeal, I discovered it was fairly difficult to hide oneself if oneself had tubes sticking out from one's person that hurt oneself if oneself happened to twitch them in the wrong manner. I also learned I had a strange fascination with the word "oneself."

"Was that your staff?" A voice questioned. I feared to turn around and face the questioner, as nobody besides a select few (i.e. two – if you didn't count Kero!) knew about my magic and Carmistressing duties.

"Uh, Sakura-chan? Why are you hiding behind your pillow?" A second voice chimed in, and at the sound of my name I ventured a look up. In the doorway, looking slightly confused, stood Tomoyo and Mei-Lin.

As soon as my eyes recognized their figures, my ears recognized what had been their voices. Berating myself for not figuring out their identities sooner, I managed a sheepish grin and a quavering laugh.

"Ah-ha-ha! I guess I didn't, um, recognize you?" My voice squeaked at the end, turning my statement into a question.

"Really, Sakura-chan…" Mei-Lin trailed off, amazed at the capacity of my denseness.

"Oh, you're just too cute!" Tomoyo squealed, and I noticed that she had dug her video camera out from who knows where and was proceeding to capture both my beet red face and bed-head hair on one of her everlasting films.

"Augh! Tomoyo-chan, stop filming! Stop, stop, stop! I'm a mess, and I have all these random tubes sticking out of me!" I complained, hiding my face from the camera.

"All the more reason to capture 'Sakura's Hospital Scare' on tape! It retains the essence of the moment if I don't have time to doll you up before the shot. Although, I could make you a really cute nurse costume…" Sensing this conversation was heading into a dangerous territory, I quickly cut Tomoyo off before I ended up in a short, frilly tunic with a giant red cross plastered on my very revealing bodice and a giant needle in my arms, forced to strut up and down the hallways of the hospital for Tomoyo's taping pleasure.

"Um, enough about me! What about you guys? What are you doing here? What happened after I, um, you know." I ended abruptly, not wanting to call back the memories of my earlier peril.

Tomoyo and Mei-Lin instantly sobered. Glancing at each other quickly, they seemed to have a whole conversation through three seconds of their eyes meeting.

"Well, after you-" Tomoyo, who had begun talking, suddenly stopped, the words she was saying stuck in her throat. My guess was that she was picturing my convulsions and the blood tears I had supposedly cried earlier.

"Collapsed." Mei-Lin filled in, prodding Tomoyo.

"Right, collapsed." Tomoyo drew a shaky breath and continued. "After you collapsed, the class went wild. Especially when you-" Tomoyo paused again, looked to Mei-Lin for support, then pressed on, "When you started convulsing. I was so scared – I couldn't do anything but watch you suffer. I'm sorry Sakura-chan! I'm so sorry!" Tomoyo's beautiful voice broke and she rushed over to me, nearly strangling me with the surprising strength behind her hug.

"Shh, shh, it's alright Tomoyo-chan, it's okay, it's not your fault, I'm fine now, Li-kun helped me, I'm alright, it's not your fault, it's not going to happen again, I'm okay." I murmured comforts into her hair, stroking it gently. Tomoyo relaxed in my hold, but she refused to let go. I didn't mind. Tomoyo had been there for me countless times in the past, I was past due to return the favor.

"How did you know Syaoran-kun was the one to pick you up and carry you to the ambulance?" Mei-Lin questioned, a look of surprise flitting across her face.

"Syaoran-kun?" I echoed, the name seeming strangely familiar, though I could've sworn I had never heard it before in my life. "Is that the name of your cousin?"

"What do you mean, is that his name?" Mei-Lin snapped, her voice suddenly full of venom and her once-peaceful eyes now blazing, "He's the one who fricken carried you to the ambulance after you had collapsed! He's the one who just might have saved your fricken life! And you're saying you don't know his name? God, Sakura, you could have-" Mei-Lin ended abruptly, her eyes shining with unshed tears after her sudden explosion.

"It's alright, Mei-Lin-chan. I didn't hear the teacher say his name when he walked in." I could tell that Mei-Lin was turning her worry for me into violent anger (as suited her nature), so I tried my best to calm her. "As soon as I saw his eyes, I sort of, um, drifted away, I guess. I met with the light being. Remember Tomoyo-chan? I told you about them after I captured the Temperature. Oh, and Mei-Lin-chan – didn't I tell you about the being who saved me from the Puppetmaster when I explained my Cardmistress position to you?"

Remembering the light being gave me a feeling of pleasure inside. If only that stupid Puppetmaster hadn't ruined it…

"The Puppetmaster?" Tomoyo asked, a slight frown creasing her forehead.

"Ah, that's right! I haven't told you guys yet!" I exclaimed, jerking myself upwards so fast I dug the needle into my skin. Wincing, I brought a hand to it.

"Sakura-chan! Careful!" Tomoyo chided, back to her old caring self. I was glad – a crying Tomoyo was an unnatural occurrence.

"I'm fine Tomoyo-chan, don't worry!" I consoled Tomoyo, who was frantically hovering over me, trying to find some way to help me feel better. "But back to what I was saying earlier: the white being told me that the evil marionette creature and the wandering spirits are being controlled by a being known as the Puppetmaster. It's the one that sent all those influenced spirits after us and the one who took me over earlier." I shivered as I remembered its cold fingers digging around through my mind, trying to find an anchor for its dark magic from which it could proceed to control me.

"The… Puppetmaster?" Mei-Lin unexpectedly snorted, "Okay, I know this is supposed to be a serious moment – I mean, this things capable of some pretty bad stuff – but seriously? The _Puppetmaster_? What kind of lame name is that? It sounds like something off of an old, cheesy horror flick!"

Tomoyo and I stood (well, in my case, _lay_), gaping at Mei-Lin.

"…Mei-Lin-chan, you amaze me." I finally managed to get out, startled by her rashness. Tomoyo stood mutely beside me, nodding along to my words.

"What?" Mei-Lin questioned, flipping one long pony-bun over her shoulder. "It's a stupid villain name. Naoko-chan could come up with something so much better." Shrugging off our looks, she perched on the end of my bed, Tomoyo slowly following suit.

"Hey, so you mentioned earlier that the Puppetmaster-" Mei-Lin scrunched up her nose in disgust at the name, "Took you over. Care to elaborate on what exactly that means?"

"It sucks." I said simply, crossing my arms over my chest and grinning slightly at my two friends. Thanks to Mei-Lin's earlier comment, I was feeling braver and more secure. If Mei-Lin had the guts to thumb her nose at the Puppetmaster, then I could stand up there and thumb along with her! I'd gotten my courage back. Let's see that Puppetmaster try to mess with me now!

_"Oh, well, if you insist! After all, I must teach your imprudent friend a lesson for her hurtful words of earlier. I think my name is genius, thank-you-very-much! I believe you've already become acquainted with Rope, yes? Well, I think you two could bear to be a bit closer. After all, Rope just __**loves**__ to make tightly strung friends!"_ Grating laughter followed the disturbing pun. From the looks on the faces of Mei-Lin and Tomoyo, I could guess that I wasn't the only one hearing the menacing voice.

"Sakura-chan." Tomoyo's voice was oddly steady and calm, "Was that the Puppetmaster? Is Rope going to show up now?"

"I believe so." I replied, just as oddly calm.

"Damn, I should've brought my suit." Mei-Lin cursed, rolling her shoulders and bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Ah well, no matter. Bring it on, You With The Terrible Name!" As Mei-Lin warmed up, Tomoyo grabbed a vase that had been sitting next to me, dumping out the get-well flowers and water inside and hoisting it up like a club, her normally gentle face distorted by a look of anger.

Why were my friends acting so brave? Surely they must be quaking inside! Yet, looking again, I noticed fear in the eyes of both of them. Why were they preparing for a fight? They should be getting the heck out of the room! Pausing, I noticed something else in their eyes, something that was slowly shoving the fear aside:

Determination.

_They want to protect me._ I realized, my eyes widening and my mouth popping open. Both girls turned at this slight sound and, seeing my startled face, gave me reassuring smiles.

My moment of revelation was cut off when Kero popped out of my bag. (He had still been in hiding from the 'strangers' who had entered my room earlier – I hadn't told him the strangers were actually the two people who already knew about both him and my magic. Boy, was he going to give it to me later.)

"Girls. Down. NOW!" He roared, sounding more like his hidden self in that moment than he had ever before. I flung myself back onto my hospital bed, ignoring the pain in my arm for the moment. Tomoyo and Mei-Lin dropped to the ground. Over our heads I heard a shushing sound as Rope slid out of the air vent in the ceiling, hooking itself on one of the bars covering the vent. Kero flew up to meet our unwelcome guest. Flinging my hand under my pillow, I hastily drew out my key and Cards. As the key expanded, I rifled through the deck, searching for a Card that could hold back the Rope.

"C'mon, c'mon!" I muttered, my shuffling becoming increasingly more forceful and unproductive. None of the cards I flipped through would be effective against Rope. Nothing worked!

Rope slithered down from the ceiling, catching my eye and distracting me from my shuffling as it wrapped its end into a noose. My breaths quickened as I remembered the feeling of the course fibers wrapped around my neck, cutting of my air supply as they squeezed tighter and tighter…

_"Ah, I see you remember the last time you met with Rope. Pleasant, wasn't it? I do believe your face turned a lovely shade of blue!"_ As the Puppetmaster's voice once again filtered into the room, I began hyperventilating. Beside me my heart monitor began to go crazy as my pulse picked up, thudding along to the sound of the closely spaced beeps of the monitor. Outside my room I heard doctors and nurses panicking at the sudden change, but I knew they wouldn't be able to help me. If the Puppetmaster didn't want them to get in, they wouldn't.

_"Oh my dear, you must calm down! If your frail little heart bursts I won't be able to play with you anymore!"_ It said again in a tone of mock-alarm, causing a shiver to run down my spine. It considered everything It had previously done mere _play_? I shuddered to think of what would happen when It finally decided to get serious.

_"I know!" _The Puppetmaster continued, a sick glee working its way into Its voice, _"I won't hurt you this time; Instead I'll start with your purple-eyed friend over there. I think a tinge of blue to her pale skin would bring out the color in her eyes!"_ I saw Tomoyo's eyes grow wide as the Puppetmaster spoke, and her determination broke as she began to quake in fear.

"NO!" I cried, rushing over to Tomoyo as the noose of the Rope draped itself over her head, settling snugly around her neck like a sort of disturbed collar.

"Tomoyo-chan!" I half-sobbed, thrusting my hands between her neck and Rope, "Tomoyo-chan!"

Mei-Lin rushed over to join me, our combined efforts keeping the Rope from strangling Tomoyo. Her large amethyst eyes stared at me, meeting my own teary green ones as her mouth struggled to make some sort of sound.

"It's okay Tomoyo-chan!" I sobbed hysterically, "I'll get you out of here! I'll save you! Don't worry!"

All thoughts of the Cards, Book, and staff had long fled my mind, replaced by panic and a desire to save my friend. If I had taken the time to relax, I might've remembered that I could use Sword to cut the Rope or Power to break the noose. Instead, my panic reverted me to animalistic instincts, and not even Mei-Lin or Kero's frantic shouts could breach my mind. I had been yanked from the situation at hand by my raw terror. The only connection I had to the real world was the brilliance of Tomoyo's eyes, shining at me from the darkness that clouded the edges of my vision and my mind. The Puppetmaster might've been taunting me and the others and I wouldn't have known. I was too wrapped up in my fear.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo finally managed to whisper, her voice breaking, "Sakura-chan, come back!"

Not even Tomoyo's voice could reach me now. I dimly felt the Puppetmaster reaching towards my mind, Its purple strands forcing themselves into my head, but I could do nothing to stop It. My fear was overpowering me, driving me towards insanity. I could somehow feel my pupils dilating far beyond their normal state as madness began to taint my mind, even as the feeling of the fibers of Rope under my fingers began to fade.

And then the door to my room broke open and a figure burst in, easily slicing through the Rope with a sharpened sword and breaking the Puppetmaster's spell over me. In the background I heard Mei-Lin exclaim something as she jumped up and pulled Tomoyo to her feet. My best friend had ceased to shake and was now trying to calm her breathing. I realized that I had collapsed to the ground and was still clutching an invisible Rope, trying to keep it from strangling an invisible neck. Slowly my grip loosened, my knuckles returning to their normal peachy shade and the indentions my fingers had left in my palm fading.

"Are you all right?" The figure asked, his deep voice cutting through the last of the fear-fog that had clouded my mind. A gentle green filled me, a very familiar green.

"I-I'm fine." I stuttered, my voice rusty. But was I really? My eyes focused on a dirty spot on the otherwise clean linoleum, trying to organize my muddled brain. Had I really been so easily overcome by fear? Was I really that weak?

A hand breached my vision, causing me to jump and look up. Amber eyes met mine, softened with worry.

_That's the amber from earlier today!_ My brain brought to surface the memory of the transfer student and the rich amber of his eyes. Was he also the one who had helped me fight off the Puppetmaster with his green-flavored magic? I slowly reached up to his outstretched hand.

"Sakura-chan?" Mei-Lin's voice finally breached my ears, causing me to jerk my hand away from the mysterious boy's and swing my gaze over to where she stood, supporting Tomoyo. "This is Syaoran-kun. He's the one who carried you out of the classroom."

Again my gaze was drawn to his – _Syaoran's_ – eyes. They were the same ones that had swept me away this morning. Feeling for my magic, I recognized the green aura around him. He was the one who had saved me this morning, and saved me again just a couple minutes earlier. Tearing my gaze from his eyes, I examined the rest of him, my eyes traveling from his face to his broad shoulders to the sword that was loosely gripped in his right hand. As my gaze examined the sword, I froze; the fear was back.

"Tomoyo-chan," I began to shake, yet I could not tear my gaze from the dreaded sword, "That's the same sword from that time in the woods. The one that- that-" I cut myself off, remembering a day not that far back when I had collapsed from lack of blood, the wounds inflicted by that same sword leeching my life away. I could recognize that red tassel and black orb anywhere.

Kero slapped me, once, across my cheek.

"Snap out of it!" He hissed, hovering right in front of my eyes. "Don't you remember the purple threads? The ones that were _controlling the sword_? This kid wasn't the one who hurt you. It was the one who was controlling his sword; the Puppetmaster. Sakura-chan! Listen to me! Don't go back to the fear!" Kero's words fell on deaf ears. The fear was too strong, but this time through the haze it had begun casting on my mind I could sense strands of purple lacing it. This realization brought a new understanding to me: the Puppetmaster had laced my original fear with Its dark magic, strengthening it and making it nearly impenetrable.

"_Ah, have you figured me out? Clever girl. I would expect no less from my little Cherry Blossom! I seem to recall that I earlier promised you I wouldn't hurt you. No matter; promises are meant to be broken! Now, let's see your Little Wolf pull out of this!"_ The Puppetmaster's voice filled my room, a chill breaking through my thin hospital robes and raising goose bumps on my skin.

"Careful!" The boy – Syaoran- reached out to me, but I had already fallen back, curling myself into a fetal position. The Puppetmaster was coming again, and I was scared out of my wits.

As a sense of panic started to settle over me, three Clow Cards slipped from the deck, wiggling their way into my clenched hand. Without the use of my staff (it had been flung in a corner in my haste to help Tomoyo), I slowly turned the cards to Sakura Cards. I stared at the three pink cards in amazement, and they fed me courage.

"_We are with you."_ Voice sounded in my head, her usually soft voice filled with assurance and strength.

"I'm coming too." A gruff voice sounded, and two large hands covered my own, sending a totally different kind of shiver down my spine as his green aura enveloped my pink one.

With eyes closed I entered the land of the Puppetmaster, but this time I wasn't alone.


	15. Darker: Stage One

**Hm, let's call this chapter fashionably late, shall we? Speaking of calling chapters, I really ought to go back and name these chapters... Just like you guys had been thinking I really ought to have uploaded! I mean, isn't it summer? Arn't I out of school and free to type? Well, I did take a two-week vacation with no time for typing, and summer always infects me with a chronic laziness. And I've run out of excuses. I'M SO SORRY! I'll update faster next time, I promise! But anyway, you're probably tired of my ramblings. So enjoy the long awaited Chapter 13~!**

**Actually, I lied. Since I havn't done one in a while, first enjoy a disclaimer:**

**DISCLAIMER: Cardcaptor Sakura and all characters and plots associated with it do not belong to me. It belongs to the mighty Clamp (all hail!). I only own the plot of this story, and the original characters/cards I want to throw into it. The end.**

_**Now**_** here's the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

It was darker than I had ever thought possible, and it was cold. Those were my first impressions of the land of the Puppetmaster. Dark, cold, and, I realized as I slowly gained my bearings, terribly, terribly lonely.

Bringing a thin thread of my magic up from my center, I infused my eyes with it and tried to see through the blackness surrounding me. It was no use; this darkness could not be penetrated by my weak magic. It was absolute. This knowledge brought another sense to me:

Fear.

"Tomoyo-chan?" I called out weakly, my voice no stronger than a weaning kitten's, "Kero-chan? Mei-Lin-chan?" I received no answer.

"Li-kun?" My last call was hardly audible, the sound barely managing to squeeze past my numb lips out into the blackness all around me.

"Kinomoto-san? That is your name, right? Kinomoto-san?" A deep voice answered my call, and I blindly reached out for it. My fingers brushed against something soft, and then were captured in a firm hand. Instantly I felt the presence of another human being, and even though I could see nothing of his being, the loneliness vanished in a wave of comforting green.

"Li-kun?" I squeaked out, my voice stronger than before.

"Yeah, I'm here." The voice answered; Syaoran's voice.

"Why can't I see anything?"

"I dunno. The magic here's really strong, and really twisted. That might have something to do with it. I'm glad we're not too far apart; finding each other would've been a bother."

I didn't respond to his sentence. Tears were beginning to form at the corners of my eyes. I hated the dark. The dark was where spirits and ghosts hid, ready to eat you up if you so much as stepped funny. The dark was where rapists and killers lurked. The dark was where I had found myself years ago, listening to Otou-san tell me that Okaa-san was never coming back again.

"Oh, God," Syaoran's bodiless voice floated out into the darkness, sounding a bit strained, "Don't tell me you're crying!" I guess my snuffling had reached his ears; there were no other sounds to distract you out here, wherever we were.

"C'mon," His voice continued, uncomfortable, "Aren't you supposed to be the Cardmistress? Pull yourself together! We won't be able to do anything if you're a sobbing mess." Surprised, I jerked my head up and glared at where I though his voice was coming from, my tears drying with the sudden onset of hot anger. I'm not sure if he had meant it or not, but his voice came out sounding annoyed and sarcastic. It might have been merely the feeling of the realm we were in, but I took offense at his words and therefore took no time to think them through before responding.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my voice shaking as I strained to keep from yelling, "What happened to your kindness earlier? Or was that just an act to get on my good side, to be the 'nice, attractive guy' who I'll be able to trust with my life and the Cards, and then once you have them, bam! You'll be off to who-knows-where leaving me to die at the hands of that stupid Puppetmaster!" My voice had grown increasingly louder as my fear and sadness turned to anger directed at Syaoran. The words that spouted from my mouth were a jumble of phrases I knew weren't true, but I was so wrapped up in my own anger that I didn't notice or care.

"At least I'm not the one overreacting." His voice reached my ears again, and his snarky words cast a red gleam over my vision and common sense.

"Fine!" I retorted, "I'll show you just how good of a Cardmistress I am!" Violently tugging my hand from his grasp, I set out into the darkness. I didn't care where I was going as long as it was away from him.

"Hey, wait! Kinomoto-san-" His voice grew fainter as I continued in my stubborn march, paying little heed to the shouts that followed me. Once I had entered my "stubbornness setting" as Tomoyo put it, there was nothing that could stop me.

_Just who does he think he is?_ I huffed, slowing down as my anger began to dissipate while I worked to move forward. _He was being so unfair! I mean, sure he's Mei-Lin-chan's cousin, and sure he saved me – twice – from that horrible Puppetmaster, but still! What gives him the right to say such cruel words to me?_

_Ah, but you responded with words equally as cruel._ The smart-aleck part of my brain fired back at me, helping to douse the flames of my anger. _And think about it; he's probably just as lost and frightened as you are, but he was trying to keep those emotions in check, probably for your sake! I think __**you're **__the one who's being unfair. Were those first words of his really so cruel? Or did the atmosphere of this place and your own fears taint them a different color?_

_ …Curse you, logical part of my brain._

_ You're welcome. But as the logical part of your brain, as you've so dubbed me, I find it in my duties to tell you that you're completely lost in an evil land, and you just marched away from your only other hope of company._

_ …Actually, I don't want to curse you. I want to damn you to hell._

I smacked my palm against my forehead, coming to a complete stop and dropping to the ground. Placing my head between my knees, I forced myself to calm down and examine the situation. Bulleting what was going on helped to keep me from hyperventilating, though the points I brought up were far from cheery.

I am in the region of the Puppetmaster, whatever and wherever that is.

The only other person I know is here with me is Syaoran Li.

He's probably mad at me.

I just ran away from him, so I no-longer know where he is.

I don't know where _I_ am.

It's too dark to see anything around me.

I can't feel my Cards.

The last bullet brought a wave of panic to me, and I frantically patted my pockets, trying to find my mislaid deck. It was nowhere on my person. I was truly alone now, and it was my own fault.

A new wave of panic and fear had begun to seep in when a light pink glow began to emanate from under my thin hospital gown. The Sakura Cards I had transformed before entering this place! Had I somehow stored them within me when I had travelled between worlds? This ability had been previously unknown to me, but I didn't care. All my attention was focused on the cards floating out from through the gown to hover in front of my face. I wasn't alone anymore.

_"Mistress…"_ A faint voice echoed inside my head.

"Voice! Where are you?" I called out into the black, snapping my head from right to left and back again.

_"I'm sorry Mistress, but the rest of us cannot join you. We are held back in your own world. Even now I'm being forced back, my voice cannot hold out for much longer."_

"But Voice, why- "

_"Please, I cannot! Just listen: We are with you in spirit, and to obtain the light you must first know the dark. Please come back safely…"_ Voice's gentle words ebbed away to nothing, and I was left to ponder her statement. Glancing at my newly-formed Sakura Cards, I read their names off to myself. I knew it was redundant to speak aloud, but a voice, even my own, brought me a small comfort in this comfortless place.

"Um, The Maze… The Dark… and The Light. Oh! The Dark and The Light! But what did Voice mean by knowing the dark to obtain the light? It makes no sense… And why would I need The Maze?" I pondered aloud to myself, desperately wishing Kero or Tomoyo or Mei-Lin were here to help me figure out the riddles left to me. I even wished Syaoran was here, just for the warmth of another human.

"Well, first things first, I'd appreciate some light in this place! Light!" My spirits were restored by the possibility of illuminating the world around me, and I hurriedly wrenched my star key out from under my gown and watched it grow to a staff. Tapping The Light with my wand, I waited for something to happen. Nothing did; the dark remained just as dark.

"W-Why isn't it working?" I whispered to myself, desperately tapping the card again and hoping that some semblance of light would work its way out to comfort me. My efforts remained fruitless.

My staff shrunk to a key again, mirroring the shrinking of my short-lived joy. Was I unable to use my magic in this cold, dark maze?

I shivered against the damp air as an itch began to form in the back of my mind. My mental fingers scratched it absently, but it persisted. There was something about what I had just thought that could help me, and my subconscious was trying to lead me to it.

Breathing deeply, I closed my eyes and began to meditate as Kero had taught me. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out… I felt myself relax as I allowed the unpleasant sensations currently clouding my mind to be washed away. No longer did fear, loneliness, coldness, or any other unpleasant emotion dissuade my thoughts. The itch at the back of my mind blossomed.

Maze! I was stuck in a maze; a giant, dark maze of negative emotions that the Puppetmaster had thought fun to plummet me and those I had brought with me into. If I could use The Maze to create a maze, couldn't I also use the card to help me break one down? Maybe Maze could lead me back to wherever Syaoran was. Even with the three Cards by my side, I was still lonely. It was worth a try, at any rate.

However, hesitation tainted my resolve. I hadn't been able to use The Light, why would Maze be any different? It'd probably flunk like the previous card, and I would be stuck by myself in this miserable place, and it would be entirely my fault.

_No, Sakura! Don't think like that. That's what the Puppetmaster wants you to think, It wants you to be scared and lonely. Maybe the reason why Light wouldn't work is because of what Voice said. Maybe it's tied up with Dark somehow? Anyway, right now Maze is my priority. You can't quit until you've tried!_ With my motto running through my head, I took a deep breath to steady myself. I wouldn't quit. Somehow, I'd find my way out of this place, and I'd take my Cards and Syaoran with me.

Drawing The Maze out from the other cards, I took a moment to familiarize myself with its surface. Instead of a humanoid figure, Maze was simply a three-dimensional, black and white image. Like Sword and Shield, it was an object-based card.

For a brief moment, I wondered why I hadn't heard the Puppetmaster speak yet. Wasn't I in his realm? The thought lasted no more than a second, and then I was drawing my staff from my key and tapping The Maze with it.

"Maze!" I yelled, the strength of my voice bringing me a sense of security, "Help me find my way through the maze I'm currently stuck in to Li-kun!"

As soon as the order had left my mouth, a golden line appeared on the ground before me. My magic had worked! Though Maze had no way of speaking to me, I knew that I was supposed to follow this line. It was the path through the maze, highlighted for me.

"Thank you." I whispered, pressing The Maze to my lips. The Card glowed a steady pink, a sign that it was working to help me. I was not helpless in this place.

My staff in one hand and my three remaining cards in the other, I set off running down the golden pathway set before me. My breaths came hard and fast, and I kept all other emotions and worries at bay through my sheer determination. I would find Syaoran at the end of this line. I _needed_ to find Syaoran at the end of this line. I could take being lost, but I couldn't take being lost alone.

It seemed to me that I ran for miles. Every so often I'd shout out Syaoran's name, hoping he'd hear me and answer back, proving that he hadn't abandoned me to this world. It was a fear of mine that was slowly strengthening as I played back our last conversation in my head. My path didn't seem to take any turns, but how could I know? There were no corners I could make out in the absolute of the darkness surrounding me. My calves burned and my feet started to throb, but I kept going. My lungs were on fire and my ribs had caught the spark as well, but I ran on. Traces of energy seemed to flow up from the golden lines whenever I grew weary, giving me the strength to continue on.

_Thank you, Maze._

Eventually I noticed that the golden line was dimming. Was I nearing my target?

"Li-kun?" I called into the blackness, "Li-kun?"

A faint "Kinomoto-san?" could be heard in reply. The words, and with them the presence of another human life, brought me a second wind and I hurtled down the last lengths of the golden path and crashed into Syaoran Li.

We tumbled to the ground. A soft grunt escaped his lips as I unintentionally used his chest to break my fall. I didn't notice nor care about the position we were in (honestly, who was there to see?); I was too busy focusing on the fact that he hadn't abandoned me. The loneliness was gone.

"Li-kun, I'm so sorry! I was really rude earlier, it's just that I was scared, you see, 'cause I've had a fear of the dark ever since my stupid 'nii-chan told me about ghosts and stuff 'cause he could apparently see them and-" Eventually Syaoran's hand found its way to my mouth, and it effectively cut off my nervous babble.

After a short pause, the hand was removed from my lips and I heard a male voice ask "Do you always ramble on when you're scared?" I was glad he didn't ask why I had run away, or mentioned my earlier tears. He could be a bit gruff, but I had a feeling he was a really sweet guy inside.

"Mm, usually. I guess I just want to hear the sound of my voice, to make sure I'm alive, you know? If I can still talk, I can still breathe. That must mean I'm still alive, still safe." I'm glad he couldn't see my face, I was sure I was blushing.

"It makes sense. I tend to clam up. Or turn my fear into fuel for anger. I'm sorry for earlier too, by the way."

Another pause. This one was a bit lengthier, but like the pause that had preceded it, the silence was comfortable, not awkward. After I had gathered up my courage, I dared to breach it.

"Can I- Can I call you Syaoran-kun? That's your name, right? Mei-Lin-chan told us – Tomoyo-chan and I. Your name, that is." My awkwardly worded question was met with another lengthy pause, and I was about to give up and start a new line of inquiry when Syaoran's soft voice replied.

"Only if you give me the same permission, Miss…?" Syaoran trailed off, and I quickly filled in my name.

"Sakura. It's Sakura."

"Sakura-san?"

"No, Sakura-chan. If I'm going to call you Syaoran-kun, then you have to call me Sakura-chan. No one calls me Sakura-san, it sounds so… old."

Soft laughter floated up to my ears, filling me with a warm feeling. "Alright, Sakura-chan."

We lay they for another few minutes, enjoying the feeling of the comforting company until simultaneously we realized that we weren't in the most proper of positions. At the same time we quickly drew away from each other. In drawing back so fast, however, I lost contact with him and the darkness flew into the gap between us.

"Syaoran-kun?" I asked, fear raising my voice an octave.

"I'm here, Sakura-chan." Again his hand found mine (the staff that had been clenched in it had returned to a key and was once again around my neck, kept safe close to my heart), and again the warm green presence surrounded me. The sound of his lips and voice forming my name returned to me a feeling I thought I had lost in this dismal place. Shoving that matter aside (it caused an uncomfortable feeling in my chest), I turned to another topic.

"Is yours the green magic that's been helping me out for a while now?"

"Yes. I take it yours is the pink?"

"Uh-huh. Thank you, by the way, for earlier and, well, earlier-earlier, I guess." Why couldn't I speak clearly around him?

Again with the deep, soft laughter. "You're welcome. I'm sorry I can't use that magic to give us any light. I tried to create a small fire earlier, but the atmosphere of this place snuffed it out. Tell me, how _did_ you manage to find your way back to me in this darkness?"

"Ah, that's okay, I'm fine in the dark as long as there's someone here with me. As to how I found you, Maze helped me! I figured that since you could create mazes with the Card, why couldn't you also create paths through those mazes? And it worked!" I triumphantly showed him The Maze, and to my surprise the card glowed proudly pink. The soft light from it lit up his amber eyes and cast shadows over his face. I hoped the pink coloring from the Card disguised the pink coloring staining my cheeks as his gaze met mine. The light eventually faded, as did my blush.

"S-Sorry." I stammered, heart pounding, "I don't know how I got the Card to light up, and I don't think I can do it again."

"Don't worry about it." He replied, his voice increasing the tempo of my heartbeat.

_Jeez, Sakura! You've known the guy all of what? A day?_

_But it feels like you've known him longer, doesn't it? It's okay; he seems like a good guy._ The logical part of my brain put it.

_…You know logical part? I take back my earlier words about you. You're not such a jerk after all._

_I try._

I was interrupted from my inner conversation with myself by Syaoran's hesitant voice. "Can I ask a sort of personal question?"

With no clue as to what sort of question he might have about me, I replied "Go ahead."

"Why was it the sight of my sword brought such fear to you?" I instantly tensed up, as the memory of that bloody day in the woods returned to me.

Sensing my tension through our hand-to-hand contact, Syaoran hastily continued, "You don't have to answer. I mean, if it's uncomfortable for you, or you don't want to talk about it or whatever, you don't have to talk about it. I mean, I'm curious and all, but… Wait! No, I'm not curious! Don't answer! And now I've probably just confused you with all of my nervous babble. Man, I suck at this!" I could hear his frustration at himself, and the honesty of his worry for me. And I found the fact that he also babbled on when he was nervous endearing. It only furthered my feeling that he was, in general, a sweet guy.

"No, it's okay. It had nothing to do with you. I don't even know why it was your sword. The creep probably knew about you beforehand. Now that I think about it, doesn't 'Syaoran' mean little wolf? Both the creep and the white one mentioned a 'Little Wolf.' I'm guessing that was you. But how would they know about your coming ahead of time?" I was pondering aloud to myself again, talking to ease the fear that still lingered from that bloody day-gone-by.

"Sorry, I'm rambling again. No, I'll tell you. It's not your fault; it's the Puppetmaster's. I realize that now; It was using Its strings to control your sword. I don't know how It got Its hands on the sword, but the sword showed up in the woods and attacked me while I was taking a shortcut this winter."

Splotches of color danced behind my eyes. A flash of silver. A red-stained tissue. A protective pink bubble.

"I managed to use Shield before it could strike the finishing blow, but it kept attacking, using more and more strength. Shield and I were being worn down. Eventually I thought to use Sword to defend myself."

A blue jewel. Dark green branches. More red, the drops bright against the white snow-dusted ground.

"The other sword was relentless. It wore me down by forcing me to be on the defensive. When I tried to take offense, it struck me across the arm. I – I lost a lot of blood.

Black orb. Red tassel. Purple strings.

"I was backed up against a tree with the world hazy around me, and Kero-chan left with no strength to save me yet again from the deadly strokes of the other sword. So I took a final swing at the other sword, my aim messed up by my fatigue and the recklessness of the slice. I cut above the other sword, hitting only what seemed like air. Fortunately, the air held invisible thread that had been controlling the other sword. My stroke sliced through them, and the other sword fell to the ground, lifeless. The controlling threads appeared as purple strings with frayed edges. The other sword had disappeared, I'm guessing back to where it had come from.

" After that, Kero-chan managed to get a hold of Tomoyo-chan for me, and she took me back to her house. I didn't think my family would exactly understand the situation I was in, and they'd certainly not understand my bleeding arm."

I had tried to tell the story with no emotion evident in my voice, but towards the end my hands had started shaking, a dead giveaway to my true feelings. Syaoran squeezed my hand and I squeezed back, grateful for his company and support.

"I take it that 'other sword' was mine, then?" He asked.

"…Yes." I hadn't really intended to tell him the events of that day, but he had asked and he deserved to know the truth of the situation. Especially now that I had entangled him in the Puppetmaster's web along with everyone else who knew the truth about my Cardmistressing.

"I'm sorry." His voice was so soft I almost didn't hear his words.

"What are you sorry for? It wasn't your fault; I already told you! The Puppetmaster was controlling your sword."

"But maybe if I had, I dunno, protected it better, or cast some sort of spell on it or something, you wouldn't have been hurt! It's my damn sword, so it's my damn fault." He spit out the last words with a bitter self-hatred, and his hand shook inside mine. This time I was the one to squeeze his hand.

"It's not your fault, so stop trying to put the blame on yourself. It's not healthy." I said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"Stubborn, aren't you?" Syaoran commented after a while.

"I'll take that as a comment, thank-you-very-much." I had a feeling his smile was as wide as my own, and that his earlier self-loathing had completely disappeared.

_"Aw, aren't you two little love-birds so sweet?"_ Of course. Just when everything had begun to look brighter despite the darkness around us, the Puppetmaster had to show up. Syaoran removed his hand from mine and instead used both of his arms to encircle my figure, protecting me from the disembodied voice and the threat it bore.

_"Well look at you, being all valiant! So Little Wolf, how do you like my Cherry Blossom? Cute, isn't she? Oh, that's right. You can't see her! And guess what? You never will."_ The seriousness of the Puppetmaster's last sentence scared me. Did he mean I'd never leave this place? But I wanted to go back! I missed the moon and the stars and the sun. I missed the fluorescent school-lights and the annoying flicker of our family's emergency flashlight. I missed the wild joy of the fire and the soft smile of the candle.

_"Aw, little Cherry Blossom, you miss the light? Well I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I despise light. And if you're going to be living in my world, then you're not allowed to have light. __**Any **__light. I'm afraid that includes the soft light your souls give out. Here, let me help you extinguish them!"_

I had thought that the darkness before was the blackest thing I'd ever seen, but I had been wrong. The darkness the Puppetmaster plunged Syaoran and I into now was so much worse. And something told me that It was still only playing with us, toying with us like a cat toys with its prey before devouring it. This was just the beginning.

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**Woot, woot! This was one of my longer chapters, with lots of little SakuSyao thrown in there for the first time! Ah, it's so much fun writing them! They're so perfect together! Anyway, I decided that I really don't want to do a whole section where Syaoran hates Sakura and Sakura all angsty and doesn't know why. Just the fluff please! There'll be fights in the future though (probably); if they were too perfect it'd get boring! And speaking of the future, I've had an idea for a SakuSyao oneshot-songfic for a while, so it may finally be working its way from my brain to my keyboard soon! Be on the lookout for it! And, thanks for reading!**


	16. Darkest: Stage Two

**So... This chapter is short. Sorry about that. But would you have preffered me to add it on to Ch. 13 and not have had Ch. 13 published till now? (If you can understand what I just typed) I didn't think so. Anyways, a bit more SyaoSaku, cuz they're just too cute! And more evil Puppetmaster. I know most of you guys think that the Puppetmaster is male, but in truth Its genderless. That's why I refer to It as It. Though, while I'm typing I call It he. This whole author's not isn't making sense, so I'm gonna stop typing now and let you read, m'kay? M'kay. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and a Disclaimer 'cause I can: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of the related characters, plot, etc. (See, with that etc. I have just covered anything that could get me into legal trouble! Woot!)**

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Sight wasn't the only sense I lost when the Puppetmaster plunged us farther into his dark realm. I was mute as well, and deaf. No noise reached my ears, and though I could feel the vibrations of my throat as I tried to force some sound out, I somehow knew that I wasn't making a sound. And hadn't Syaoran been – um – _holding_ me when the Puppetmaster had worked Its dark magic? Why couldn't I feel his strong arms encircling me anymore? Had I been stripped of the sense of touch as well? Or, was Syaoran gone, taken away from me by the evil doings of the Puppetmaster?

_No!_ My mind screamed, desperately working to sense Syaoran beside me, to feel the comfort of another. My aura reached out, the only thing that could still somewhat sense in this place, but it met with only more nothingness. Deep down I knew the truth, though I refused to admit it. I was alone here, with nothing but my dark thoughts to keep me company.

_ "Don't be so pessimistic, my little Cherry Blossom! I'm here too, don't you know? It __**is**__ my realm, after all. Don't you find it impressive?"_ The Puppetmaster. And impressive my ass; what's impressive was that I had dared to harbor a hope that the sense-less place I'd been thrust into would prevent It from communicating with me. Yet Its ability to speak to me brought forth another uncomfortable and unwanted truth:

It was in my mind. The Puppetmaster could speak directly into my mind, and I was pretty sure that despite my brain-protection training with Kero, It was able to pick snips of memories, thoughts, and feelings out of my mind as well.

_"Well, aren't you the clever one! Figured out how I work, did you dear? Ah, but I'd expect no less of you! No less of my sweet little Cherry Blossom."_

_Get out!_ I thought as forcefully as I could, hoping I could sound even the tiniest bit intimidating so as to veil the vast expanse of fear behind my wavering bravado, _Get out, get out, get out!_

_"How rude! Couldn't you at least use a please? I'm told it's a __**magic**__ word that __**always**__ works!"_ Now It was taunting me, shoving in my face how I could work just the barest amount of magic in this place. How the card that I most desperately needed right now refused to change to help me. How I was utterly, bitterly alone.

_"Now, now, didn't I tell you earlier? You have me as your company, and I do say that I'm fabulous company at that!"_ More taunting. Everything was still just a game to It, and I shuddered to think of the power and might It would display when It finally became serious.

_"Don't worry your pretty little head about that for a while, Cardmistress."_ He responded to my thoughts again, leaving a feeling of invasion of the privacy of my mind, _"I'm not done playing with you and your cute little friends just yet. In fact, I quite enjoyed your purple-eyed friends lovely facial hues a while back. Really brought out the color of her eyes, don't you think? And besides, you haven't even transformed all the cards yet. What would be the fun in killing you or your little love-wolf so early in the game? I'd be out of a collection of great playmates! Though I daresay you should hurry up and transform Light; Syaoran-dear is getting a bit testy looking for you, and I wouldn't want any… misfortunes to fall upon him."_

_What did you do to Syaoran-kun!_ I shrieked inside my mind, glaring at the blackness surrounding me. A wave of panic snapped through me, ruining my resolution to keep up a façade of calmness and bravery. I knew the Puppetmaster felt my heated gaze when Its dark laughter filled the emptiness around me and – I shuddered to think it – _inside_ me.

_"So, you two are on a first name basis already? And Syaoran-__**kun**__? My, my, you sure do work fast!"_ My cheeks heated up at Its statement. As much as I wanted to deny Its implications, there was a strain of truth to them. I felt oddly drawn to the mysterious transfer student, much more so than I had been to Yukito. The thought of Syaoran alone in the same dark place as I, perhaps right next to me though I could not sense him, sent thrills of anger down my spine.

_I'll ask one more time._ I thought, the menacing tone coming naturally as I pictured Syaoran's amber eyes, unseeing in this empty land, _What did you do to him._

_"Why, nothing! Yet."_ I could feel the Puppetmaster's crooked smile as if It had plastered it upon my own face. I raised my hand to wipe the feeling from my mouth before realizing that I had no clue exactly where my hands or mouth were. I could sense nothing of my own body. Before I could begin to fully panic as the feeling set in, the Puppetmaster spoke up again.

_"You really ought to hurry up and turn Light pink. I'm starting to get bored, and I'm sure Little Wolf could be awfully entertaining if provided with the right motivation…"_ The Puppetmaster trailed off, and again I felt Its smirk.

_You wouldn't dare._ My thoughts quavered a bit, as did my anger.

The Puppetmaster ignored me, and instead voiced aloud, _"I wonder which would cause him more pain; a broken arm, or a broken leg? Or maybe both at once!"_ Its malicious glee almost sent me over the edge; only a gentle glowing from The Light and The Dark kept me from spouting every nasty word I'd even learned at the Puppetmaster, despite my inability to talk aloud.

Confused, I took the cards from my pocket and watched in surprise as they continued to glow in synchronicity. They pulsed in tandem, fading in and out of a soft yellow light in sync. Synchronicity…

My brain brought up a previous conversation with Voice:

_"…To obtain the light you must first know the dark."_

That memory, combined with the synchronized glowing of the cards, sparked something in my mind. The cards worked together. Like the Hot and Cold aspects of Temperature or the Pink and Blue members of Twin, Light and Dark played off each other. Though they were separate cards, they were connected spirits. You could not work one without working the other. I'd have to transform both cards at once.

This notion struck me so suddenly I could barely hear the Puppetmaster sarcastically praising me and applauding in the background. The subconscious part of my brain tried to comfort me by telling me that if he was still paying attention to my actions, he hadn't yet turned his malice towards Syaoran. At least, I hoped not.

Drawing my star key and transforming it into my staff was a small comfort, but it was a comfort nonetheless. My staff was the only thing I could firmly feel in this land of nothing, and that gave me the courage to continue with my absurd idea. Yet another problem presented itself almost immediately:

How could I transform two cards at once? Sure, I'd transformed up to three cards in succession, but I'd had a little time to rest between each! And afterwards, I'd always go weak-kneed and, in some cases, faint! I'd gotten stronger since my first time working the cards, sure, but I was still a novice. There was no way I could do a dual transformation without the help of Kero, or Tomoyo, or Mei-Lin, or Syaoran…

As I thought of his name, the strange feeling filled me once again. I shied away from naming it, lest it become true, but it stayed there with me, fending off the emptiness around me. And I knew that I was strong.

Raising my staff in one hand, I found I could feel my cards with my other. Drawing out The Light and The Dark I stared at them, begging them to give me the strength and courage to succeed in my task. Their lifeless drawings stared back at me, and I could somehow feel their encouragement. They wanted to transform. They wanted to help me. They wanted to be mine.

"I can do this." I whispered to myself, and the fact that I could both form and hear sounds sent another wave of strength through me.

Squaring my shoulders, I threw the two cards into the air in front of me and cried at the top of my lungs, "LIGHT! DARK!" And slowly, the pink began to come forth.

It started at the bottom of the cards and slowly began to ease its way up to the crowns perched regally on the heads of the two women pictured on the cards. I was feeling proud of myself, and strong, when the pink light began to waver halfway up. I was wondering what was wrong when the fatigue hit me. I stumbled in my transformation, and the light began to recede, travelling quickly down the cards.

"No!" I cried, frustrated, "I can do this!"

"_You'd better, Cherry Blossom. Little Wolf's depending on you to succeed!"_ The Puppetmaster's snide comments did nothing to help me. I was fighting a losing battle, but I refused to surrender.

"I – will – not – give – up!" I yelled, each word costing me. I needed to get back. Back to Otou-san, and Onii-chan, and Tomoyo, and Kero, and Mei-Lin. I needed to get back, so I could spend more time figuring out who exactly Li Syaoran was and what he meant to me. I needed to get back to my life.

I fought harder, pouring my magic into the staff and through it into the cards. The pink glow stopped retreating from their surfaces, and again began its slow climb up the top of the cards.

_This is for my life. This is so I can live in a world filled with light, and happiness, and feelings._ I thought to myself over and over again, running the faces of everyone I loved and cared about through my head to give me strength. And it was working, until the amount of magic I was spending caught up with me.

Three-quarters up the cards, I faltered again. My knees felt as if they were going to give way any minute, and a thin trail of blood leaked from my left nostril, filling my mouth with a metallic taste. Yet the fact that I could taste sent thrills of hope through me. I would finish this; I had to, not just for my sake but Syaoran's as well.

With his name and face fresh in my mind, I felt a new burst of energy. A new, green-tinged burst. It mingled with my own pink-tinged energy to create a storm of power that flowed up the cards and forced them to transform into Sakura Cards. And then I was no longer looking at two pink cards but at two elegant women, who looked at me in return with kindness in their contrasting eyes.

One was clad in black with long, straight black hair. On her head she wore a crown of white that complemented her pale features. A white sun emblem was emblazoned onto each of the shoulders of her long dress. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, and despite her dark appearance they held a comforting warmth, similar to the feeling of hiding under the covers during a thunderstorm. That darkness was familiar, safe, and protective.

"_I am Dark, and you know me."_ She proclaimed, bowing to me as I stared on in awe. It was the first time a card had spoken to me save Voice.

The other woman was the opposite of the first, clad all in white with long, wavy white hair. The crown on her head was black and matched the color of the sun emblems on the shoulders of her flowing dress. **(A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know the crown of Light's white in the series, but I'm changing it to black for the sake of poetic justice. Yin and Yang, anyone?)** Her eyes were white, a brilliant, shining color that banished the empty darkness around me and provided me with all the warming comfort of a gentle sun. The two women were dressed similar, and their same pale skin and angular features lead me to believe they were related.

"_I am Light,"_ The white woman spoke, her voice everything good and bright in the world, _"And now that you know my sister, you know me."_ She began to shine, casting her brilliance over everything and everyone.

Suddenly I was aware of someone standing beside me, and was surprised that when I turned my head I saw Syaoran staring at Light and Dark with his piercing amber eyes. One of his hands was wrapped around my own, clutching the staff and helping to support it while feeding his green magic through it to help my own pink magic. The other hand and arm were wrapped around my waist, helping to support me and keeping me on my feet even as I realized that I had no energy left to stand.

"_Hmm, very good Cardmistress."_ The Puppetmaster had an uncanny way of interrupting every good moment and installing a sense of hopelessness even in the brightest of situations. _"I'll give you this round, and you precious Little Wolf to boot. But rest assured,"_ (How was I supposed to rest assured when It was around?) _"This isn't the last time you'll be seeing me! Ciao!"_ As Its presence drifted away, the sisters set to work dispersing the last of Its foul darkness. They moved so gracefully, sending a wave of envy through me. What I wouldn't give to have their poise and beauty as opposed to my naturally clumsy nature!

"_Rest assured, Cardmistress and Wolf. You are safe now. Soon we will return you to your loved ones. Do not hesitate to call on us if you ever need anything."_ The sisters bent down, Dark kissing my forehead as Light kissed Syaoran's. Then the sisters switched, and it was Light planting her soft lips to my brow while Syaoran got the same treatment from Dark, surprising both of us into silence.

"_Do not be frightened of the dark, Cardmistress. For without the dark, what would be the light?"_ She whispered gently into my ear, before grasping hands with her other half and smiling together with her as they returned to their card forms. The darkness about us began to fade away, leaving us blinking and squinting in the presence of harsh hospital lights. It was at that point that my weariness really caught up with me, leaving me too tired to worry about what Tomoyo and Mei-Lin, who I vaguely recognized past the glare of the fluorescents, would think of the way Syaoran was holding me, or the way I was leaning heavily against him.

"Good job, Cardmistress Sakura." He whispered into my ear as the two of us collapsed onto my hospital bed, ignoring the stares of the two other girls. I was too tired to do anything but smile into him as I felt my mind becoming foggy with weariness. He was fighting against sleep as well, but eventually we gave into it.

We drifted off together, and the last sensations I had were of a familiar key clutched in my right hand while three cards comfortably rested against my side, and a warm green aura cloaking me as two strong arms protected me from any nightmares. I was safe, and the world was full of light.

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**I'll try to make the next chapter longer, promise! That is, when I finally figure out what I want to do for the next chapter... Any ideas?**

**-Winged**


	17. Practical Jokes

**Sorry this is so, so, so incredibly late! Also, sorry it's so short! I was going to make this longer by combining both Ch. 15 and 16, but 16 isn't finished yet and it's been Way Too Long since I've posted something! So, it's short, but it's something at a slower pace without as much angsy drama-y stuff! (I've gotten messages to slow down, AND I'VE LISTENED! I'VE TAKEN FOREVER TO WRITE, BUT AT LEAST I LISTENED!) God, I feel like such a horrible person... I'M SOOOO SORRRRRRRYYYYYYY! *Flings herself at the feet of the faithful readers.* Forgive me please? Enough of my groveling, ENJOY! (For, like, the first time in months.) (I'M SOOOOORRRRYYYYY!)**

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"Sakura? Sakura, wake up!" The voice was a familiar one, but the fear it held masked my ability to recognize it. Yet something about the tone drew me out of the comforting wrappings of sleep that held me and into the world of wake. Blinking open two emerald green eyes, I met the worried brown eyes of a person I knew well.

"Onii-chan?" I mumbled, my tongue heavy and dulled with sleep.

"Aw jeez, Sakura-chan. You really gave us a fright." At the word "us," my mind registered another person standing behind my brother.

"Tou-san!" I exclaimed, struggling to sit up. The hospital sheets where strewn around me, and there was an imprint to my left that suggested a person had been lying next to me earlier.

"The school called us shortly after you collapsed and were taken away. Are you feeling better now, Sakura-chan?" My father's voice was gentle, and he carefully swept stray hairs off my forehead.

"Mm-hmm. I'm feeling much, much better!" I exclaimed, giving two thumbs up to show just how much better I was. My actions raised a chuckle from Tou-san and a smile from Touya. Touya's smile changed to a frown as he noticed something lying by the foot of my bed.

"How'd this get here?" He murmured, picking up a very stiff, very doll-like Kero. I gasped a little bit, trying to stifle the noise so that Touya wouldn't hear. Unfortunately, he's got the best ears in our family. That's probably one of the reasons he's musically gifted, like Tou-san says Kaa-san was.

"Something you want to tell us, Sakura?" Touya raised one eyebrow, a feat he was quiet accomplished at.

"Um, well, I think Tomoyo-chan might've brought that over for me when I fainted at school. As a, um, comfort thing?" I was lying through my teeth, and both my brother and father could tell.

"It's always good to have a small piece of comfort when you're in an unfamiliar place." Tou-san tactfully ignored my lie. I smiled up at him, glad that of all the men my mother could've chosen for my father, she'd chosen this one.

"I didn't make you guys leave work, did I?" I worriedly asked. Touya was currently working on his Master's in medicine with Yukito at the college down the street. I think they planned to open a new hospital together once they were done. My father still taught archeology at the same college.

"I had just finished my lecture when I got your call; don't worry, I'm not missing anything. Though I would have dropped whatever I was doing to come care for you." Tou-san gently rubbed the top of my head, his eyes smiling gently behind their glasses.

"Yuki's covering for me." Touya mumbled, looking away. Onii-chan _had_ been in class! But he'd left, in the middle of a lecture, probably, so he could come see if I was alright.

"Thank you. Thank you both." I smiled up at both of them. "I think I'm ready to go home now; it's been a long day."

We exited the hospital laughing, my father, brother, Kero, and I. Because, really, laughter is the best medicine.

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There was a little red light flashing on the phone placed on my bedside table. It meant a new message, most likely from Tomoyo.

I was in my room, Kero perched on my shoulder and my body strewn on my bed. It felt nice to be back in a room I knew, with a bed I was familiar with. The hospital had been too bright, too white, too clean. It wasn't homely in the least. When Nii-chan finished college and became some fancy-pants doctor, I'd be sure to tell him to make his hospital rooms more comforting to the patients.

"SAKURA-CHAN! If you're listening to this, you have to call us right back. You better be all right. Oh my god, you have no _idea_ how worried we are about you. When Kero-chan warned us that your family was coming, we high-tailed it out of there even though you were still comatose. Actually, there's a pretty funny story about that-" Tomoyo was abruptly cut off by another loud voice screaming into my ear.

"SAKURA-CHAN! You better pick up your phone this instant and call us back, or I swear I'll-" It was Mei-Lin. Was she spending the night at Tomoyo's? It was a school night! Thinking that over, I realized I had spent plenty of school nights at the Daidouji mansion. I guess Tomoyo counted Mei-Lin as a close enough friend to allow her that privilege. For a split second, an odd, burning jealousy ripped through me, darkening my vision. I shook it off after a moment, firmly telling myself that Tomoyo wasn't mine alone and that I really did like Mei-Lin.

A brief scuffling sound occurred and distracted me from my inner turmoil, and then Tomoyo's voice once again filled my ears.

"Ha, I won Mei-Lin! Anyways Sakura-chan, as soon as you hear this you need to come over. Well, call us back first, then come over. We can tell you the story, and you can tell us what exactly happened when you passed out. Both times. Li-kun's filled us in on the second occurrence, but it still has some gaps in it that only you could fill.

"Oh, and nice work on snagging Li! He's pretty fine-looking!" Tomoyo whispered into the phone, and I could picture her giving me an elaborate wink. My face grew hot.

"Hey, what're ya whispering about?" Mei-Lin demanded, her voice sounding faint as she yelled at Tomoyo from the other side of the phone.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan. Just what, exactly, **did**happen between you and the kid?" Kero asked, his voice right by my ear causing me to jump.

"I'll tell you later!" I shushed Kero, pushing the phone closer to my ear to hear their final goodbyes.

"YOU BETTER BE ALL RIGHT AND YOU BETTER CALL ME BACK YOUNG LADY!" Tomoyo screamed into the phone, nearly deafening me in my right ear. Quickly yanking the phone away from the damaged ear, I moved it to my left ear and held it at a safe distance.

"Oh, and we all love and miss you sweetie!" Mei-Lin had apparently stolen the phone from Tomoyo to give me a last minute goodbye. I could hear her hissing at Syaoran to say something in the background, and after another round of shuffling Syaoran's voice became clear.

"Um, get better soon?" His voice was gruffer than it had been in the Puppetmaster's realm, and I felt a touch of disappointment at his nonchalance.

"_Men._" Mei-Lin sighed after she had taken back the phone, electing a small smile from me. "Anyways Sakura-chan, you better be over here soon, back to your bubbly happy self. CALL US BACK! LOVE YA'!" Both Tomoyo and Mei-Lin screamed the last part at me, landing me with two deafened ears and a happy heart.

"So… Sakura-chan… about the kid…" Kero started, hovering around my gigantic smile while poking my head with his foot.

"Hey Kero-chan!" I ignored his earlier comment as sudden inspiration struck, "How about we pull a mean little prank on our oh-so-concerned friends? Pull an unannounced, _ghostly_ visit!" My smile grew sharper as I told Kero of my evil plan. By the end of my explanation, he too was grinning evilly and nodding along, the perfect henchman.

Taking two cards out of my pocket, I quickly transformed them, then set about packing my bags for the sleepover I'm sure would follow my joke.

Tou-san and Nii-chan had already departed back to the college, telling me to get some rest. They hadn't been planning to leave my side the rest of the evening and into tomorrow, but I convinced them that I would be fine, practically shoving them out the door so they could get back to work. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I got my rest at Tomoyo's house instead of our own. And besides, what they didn't know couldn't hurt them, right?

Those were my thoughts as I finished packing my bags, Kero flying around the whole time and snickering evilly about how we were going to give them all heart attacks. Fifteen minutes later, we were approaching the giant brick wall surrounding the Daidouji estates, my sack on my back, my rollerblades on my feet, my cards in my hand, and my evil plan in my head. I was ready to go.

"Float!" I whispered quietly, and one of the cards left my hand and materialized. A pink and purple ball-thing, it sprouted two chibi wings on its right and left sides. Though they were small, the wings were strong enough to life Float and practically anything else up, up, and away.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked it softly, and it seemed to nod, bouncing up and down slightly in the night.

"Ready, Kero-chan? Remember, it's all about the pitch. You're either going to make this or break it, but I have a feeling it'll be the former!" I cheered on the little beast, and his chest swelled in pride.

"You can count on me!" Kero saluted then flew up and over the fence, his orange shade standing out against the dark blue sky.

"Don't forget the video camera!" I called after him, trying hard to keep as quiet as possible. In response, Kero gave me a double thumbs-up, still continuing his flight towards window Tomoyo knew to always keep open in case Kero wanted to drop by for the snacks she always seemed to have on her.

Turning to Float, I nodded at it and it began to glow, expanding until it encompassed me. All of a sudden its physical form disappeared, but I could still feel its steady stream of magic flowing into me. Taking an experimental hop, I was pleased to find that it brought me upwards a good thirty feet and held me there. For getting over the fence, The Jump would have been sufficient, but I needed to stay airborne for a while in order for my part to look authentic.

By merely flexing my fingers, I was able to direct my floating direction. I took myself towards the Daidouji mansion, taking care not to disturb the tops of any trees on the property. I had no worries about being caught on tape; Tomoyo had shown me the room in which their family's perpetual guard kept watch over the estate, and the route I had planned would keep me out of the camera's vision. (I had taught Kero the same route so he wouldn't be caught on tape either.)

As I approached the window through which Kero had disappeared into, I took hold of my second card, silently releasing it into the air.

A woman with a vaguely Chinese air came to a rest before me, her eyes calm and unblinking. They were the color of the blue gem on her forehead and the blue earrings she wore. It was also the hue of the band she used to secure her twin black loops of hair on top of her head, the rest of it trailing down her back to the ends of her ankles. Her clothes were a mixture of black and mid-afternoon sky blue, with flowing sleeves, a high-collared tunic, and a side-slit long skirt. Her shoes were classic Chinese flats which seemed to be sewn from the sky itself, so richly dark was their color.

She bowed to me and I to her, my voice caught in awe of her simple grace and elegance. With a tilt of her head she asked me how it was that she could serve me.

"Ah, um." Words were having a hard time forming themselves on my tongue. Though she wasn't the prettiest of the cards, Through had a certain air that I had only felt once before, when I had met Tomoyo for the first time.

Clearing my throat, I started again. "Please, could you turn me partially see-through, and allow me to float through this wall?" I indicated the wall separating the outside from Tomoyo's lit-up room. In a few moments, as soon as I gave the signal, Kero would make himself known.

Through smiled and nodded, slowly disappearing as I felt another stream of magic surround me.

_Oh, I hope Syaoran-kun doesn't sense this._ My last minute thought barely slipped through my brain before I gave Kero the signal, a slight tapping on the wall. As I tapped, I was fascinated as I noticed that I could see the wall through my hand. Through had come through for me! **(A/N: Sorry for the terrible pun, but I couldn't resist! XD)**

I floated up a little higher; sure I wouldn't be seen now with Kero distracting Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, and Syaoran. Besides, this would be one show I wouldn't want to miss!

As he had promised, Kero had discretely set up a video camera in a corner where it would be able to record the whole show. Currently, the little guardian beast was in the center of the room, perfecting his skill of realistically fake-crying as he called out the girls and Syaoran.

_Let the show begin!_

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**So, I hoped you enjoyed it and its enought to tide you over until Ch. 16. IT'LL BE OUT SOON, I PROMISE! Pinky swear it, actually! Any ideas on what Sakura's "Evil Plan" is? (Hint: There's a Hint in this chapter! It's in _Italics!_) Be on the lookout, because CH. 16 WILL BE POSTED WITHIN THIS MONTH! I SWEAR IT! **

**And, even though you're probably ready to strangle me for saying it so often, I'll say it once again: **

**I'M SOOOOOOORRRRRYYYYYYY! Okay, got it out of my system! **

**Signing off, **

**Winged**


	18. Laughter is the Best Medicine

**Lookie here, Winged's finally updating! Took her long enough, didn't it?**

**I'm really sorry guys. I meant to update in November, I really did, but then school started piling on all of its crap and NaNoWriMo was coming to an end and all of a sudden it was December and I was owing you guys a chapter! To make up for it, I made it a bit longer than the last chapter!  
****...Okay, I know it's not much, but at least I tried! I'm trying to find a way to wind down this story (not any time soon, I promise!) so I can start on another that's been nagging me for a bit. Maybe I'll start doing dual stories? Oh lord, could I even keep that up?  
Anyway, enjoy the (slightly longer, woot!) update and look for more to come; hopefully I'll get back on my writing feet and pump out some more literary genius!**

**And, since it's been a month, DISCLAIMER TIME! YAYYYYYY!: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or its characters or plots or whatever other stuff they threw into the manga/anime. Now that that's done with...**

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"T-Tomoyo! Tomoyo-chan!" Kero cried, flapping his wings desperately and hovering in the center of Tomoyo's room.

"What is it Kero-chan? What's wrong?" Tomoyo asked anxiously, her amethyst eyes opening wide as she took in Kero's obvious anguish.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Was Kero's only answer, moaned out between frantic sobs as he fell down a few inches, his wings seemingly giving out on him in his despair.

I had to hand it to the little guy; he was sure a great actor when it counted. I was almost tempted to burst onto the scene this very moment and fulfill my planned part, but I had enough willpower to hold myself back. It wouldn't be much of a joke if I disregarded the drama we were building and ignored my cue, coming out right now and ruining the tension.

"Spit it out, puffball!" Mei-Lin retorted. Though her voice sounded harsh, I could see through the layers of annoyance to her core of worry beneath.

"I-It's… It's…" Kero couldn't get out the words between his fake sobs. He was building the tension perfectly, leaving the Li cousins and Tomoyo at the edges of their metaphorical seats in anticipation. I was so proud of him, my little partner in crime! Now, if he could pull the rest of the gig off without bursting into laughter…

"It's who?" Syaoran was more patient with Kero than Mei-Lin had been, but I could still sense the annoyance and fear he was trying to mask. I could also see that he had already figured out who Kero was talking about. Who else could it be, when Kero was the messenger?

"It's Sakura, isn't it?" Tomoyo, on the other hand, wasn't even giving the slightest attempt at hiding the raw fear in her voice. She was perceptive as always, especially as the matter related to me. For a split second, it crossed my mind that my joke might be cruel and harsh, but the second wore off and I was back to thinking what a genius plan it was. Tomoyo would get it, even if it took a couple minutes of verbal abuse to let her get the fear and worry out of her system. Someday, we would look back on the video Kero took and all laugh!

I was so caught up in my own genius at my practical joke that I nearly missed Kero's cue. Thankfully, he was hamming it up as usual and giving his all into his one final line, even if it was a line he would never get to finish.

"It's Sakura-chan." Kero agreed, fluttering down to the ground and sitting there as if he no longer knew how to fly. "This morning – This morning, she-"

My turn.

I entered through the wall with the assistance of Through, seeming to float on the air when in actuality I was riding Float - who had been absorbed into my body - granting me its powers of levitation. Through had also made me partially see-through. I looked like the perfect ghost. Now I just had to act like the perfect ghost.

"Tomoyo-chan!" I groaned, pretty effectively if I do say so myself. Tomoyo, along with Mei-Lin and Syaoran, turned in a half second from hanging on to every word of Kero's unfinished sentence to being surprised and/or horrified by my sudden, unusual entrance. They became even more surprised and/or horrified when they noticed that I was floating about two feet above the ground. And that they could see the pale walls of Tomoyo's room through my partially transparent body.

"Tomoyo-chan!" I moaned again, staring right into her wide eyes. "You weren't there." I broadened my viewpoint until I encompassed all three of the despairing teens in my gaze. "None of you were there." I was tempted to let a tear slide down my cheek (growing up with an older brother, I was very adept at crying on cue), but I decided that it would look a little odd for a ghost to cry.

"S-Sakura…chan?" Tomoyo whispered the last syllable, "What's wrong?"

"You know what's wrong! You weren't there, but you know what's wrong!" I hissed in reply, gliding a couple inches closer and cranking up the emotional drama in the room. To my satisfaction, all three of my audience flinched back. Kero's face was a perfect mask of horror. Our joke was working!

"You're not…" Mei-Lin trailed off, letting the finger that she had been pointing at me slowly drop to her thigh as she widened her red-brown eyes at me, her hair swinging down from its high-placed bun as she shook in fear.

"Dead?" I spat, turning the full force of my ghostly visage on her. "How would you know? You weren't there. _You_ weren't there," I turned to Syaoran, "_You _weren't there," I turned to Tomoyo, "_You_ weren't there. **None** of you were. And you don't know what happened, because you weren't there for me."

"Relapse." Kero forced out, turning his head away from me as if in sadness and fear and the slightest bit of remorse. Thankfully, Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Mei-Lin didn't turn around to view Kero. If they had, they might have discovered our ruse; from the corner of my eye I could see Kero had the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. **(A/N: Sorry for the horrible pun, but I had to!)** That wasn't good. If Kero cracked up under the pressure and reactions of the others, I don't know how I'd be able to carry on the play. In addition, I was very susceptible to catching laughter and would probably end up rolling around on the floor, tears of mirth leaking from my eyes as I giggled my heart out.

"'Tou-san and Touya-kun are with me right now. Or what was once me; my body. They were there. But you weren't." They all flinched at my words, and Syaoran was the only one who could still meet my eyes.

_We'll see how much longer he can hold the tough-guy act up!_ My mind cried, rising to the challenge the boy proposed. I just hoped his bravery wasn't for real, resulting from the fact that he could sense the magic I was using but trying hard to hide.

_You should stop this, it's wrong!_ The boring, reasoning part of my brain butted into my challenge-accepted fervor.

_It's fun, and in a few weeks we'll look back on this and laugh! You'll see; you'll enjoy it too when we're watching the video later._ I told it calmly, determined to out-reason the reasoning section in my brain.

_Or in a few weeks you'll be lonely and laughing with no-one but yourself because your former friends hate you for the cruel joke you played on them._

_Shut up!_ I struck out against that part of my mind, silencing it through mental force instead of my initial reasoning method.

"I'd invite you to the funeral," I found myself saying, and the statement was so cunning and brilliant (to my demented mind), I forgot all of my internal debate about the moral issues of the joke of Kero and I," But I'm not sure if you'd show up."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo managed to work out before she began quietly crying into Mei-Lin's shoulder. Mei-Lin wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl, muttering soothing words and stroking hair as she herself leaked a few tears of her own.

Syaoran met my eyes with his own, and I was the tiniest bit surprised to find that they were moist yet angry and hating. "Why are you doing this? What happened to you to make you do this?" He asked, and I wasn't sure if he was talking about the practical joke I was playing or the fact that I was "haunting" them.

"Why am I doing this?" I wanted to keep up the charade as long as possible, because it was fun, that's why! "Why am I doing this? I'm doing this because-"

Then I noticed Kero stifling his laughter off in the corner, his small shoulders shaking as he muffled the sounds with his paws. I tried to frantically convey to him with my eyes to cut it out, but he either didn't get the message or he ignored it, as he continued his silent laughing fit.

"Because-" My voice shook a bit, despite my attempts to keep it steady. Tomoyo had stopped crying, and she and Mei-Lin were looking up at me in confusion. Syaoran already had his eyes trained on my visage, but they had obtained a look of confusion as well. They knew something was off.

"Because-" I wasn't going to be able to hold it in. Kero's laughter was spreading, and all I needed was one final push to set me off as well. When my little guardian beast let a snort sneak out of his sound-proofing defenses, the dam broke.

"A-hahahaha-ha!" I cried, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes as Float deposited me on the ground, sensing its job to be done, and Through returned my body to its original solid state. The cards flew to join the other in my back pocket. I crumpled to the ground, unable to support myself on my shaking legs, so great was my laughter.

"K-Kero!" I huffed out between giggles, "D-Did you s-see their fa-faces?"

"I d-did!" Kero had let his laughter be heard, and he too was rolling around the floor in giddiness. I could no longer see anything around me as my tears of laughter obscured my view. I did, however, feel it when the hand came out of nowhere and slapped me across my face. Hearing a similar noise, I could only assume that Kero had been slapped as well.

When I came to my senses, quelled my laughter, and could finally see again, the first thing I laid eyes on was a quivering Tomoyo, tears streaming down her blotched face as she continued to hold her reddening hand up. She read the question in my eyes and answered tersely.

"That was mean. I don't care if it was meant to be a joke, I don't care if you thought it was the funniest thing on the planet - it was mean and cruel and _wrong_. I seriously thought that you were – that you were-" Tomoyo didn't get the chance to finish her stuttering sentence as I had wrapped my arms around her, placing my head on her shoulder.

_What have I done?_ The words swirled round and round my head, playing a guilty lullaby that did anything but relax me. _How could I be so stupid?_

The part that most disturbed me was how I could have thought such a joke could ever be funny, especially after all that had just happened. Kero was evidently having the same thoughts as me, as he met my gaze from across the room with the same widened, startled eyes that I imagined I was wearing. He was rubbing the side of his cheek with one of his paws, with Mei-Lin standing angrily over him, her hand raised as if she was preparing to slap him again. Syaoran stood in between the two of us, looking at me in disgust.

For the first time in my life, I felt truly, honestly ashamed and mortified of my actions.

"I'm so sorry." I muttered to the room, casting my eyes downwards and drawing back from Tomoyo in remorse. Kero flew unsteadily over to where I was, echoing my apology with all of his heart.

"I'm so sorry, it's just-" The feeling was back. The feeling I had gotten right before the ghost prank idea had wormed its way into my head, proclaiming itself to be the most ingenious idea ever born and tricking my mind into agreeing. The feeling was building inside me, and when I cast a worried look at Kero I could see him fighting the same feeling.

I opened my mouth to apologize again, and to explain, but doing so only let the feeling spill out in the form of laughter. Before I knew it, I was on the ground again, Kero beside me, laughing my heart out.

"K-Kero!" I cried, and despite my laughter I managed to sound worried. "W-What's g-going on?" Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, and Syaoran were looking at Kero and I with eyes that could only be filled with the dreaded thing called hatred. They thought we were doing this on purpose to be funny and cute! I couldn't even manage to work the syllables out to tell them they were wrong, that something other than me was controlling me.

"I d-don't k-know!" Kero groaned back, holding his stomach as the laughter spasms began to cause his sides to ache. My own sides were aching, and I clutched at them desperately to quell the feeling that they were about to split open.

"How can you do this?" Tomoyo wailed, advancing towards me angrily, "How can you blatantly laugh about something so serious and so cruel? I hate you!" I didn't even have the strength or control to dodge as she slapped me again, though my lack of reflex might be in part because I was hoping that her slap could snap me out of my fervor like it had done before. This time the slap did nothing to stop my laughter. I was on a roll now, and the boulder I (or, was it someone else?) had nudged off the hill wasn't stopping any time soon.

"I c-can't bre-athe!" I choked out, beginning to loose oxygen as I laughed out more than I could take in.

"That's not funny." Mei-Lin stated coldly, glaring at me with all the intensity she could muster. Syaoran still wore the same look of disgust on his face. Their reactions hurt, even though I knew I deserved it and much worse.

"N-No, I r-really ca-n't brea-the!" I was gasping for air now, my vision going spotty. Beside me I could hear Kero flopping about like a fish out of water, desperately trying to fill his tiny lungs with enough air to continue remaining conscious.

My face must have been turning purple or something, because suddenly the mood of the three teens glaring at Kero and me changed.

"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo's voice had lost all the hatred, now it only held caution and concern, and touch of careful worry for my wellbeing. She reached out to help me, but at that moment my laughter changed to hacking coughs. The cough spasms racked my body, sending me curling up into a ball and then forcing me to arch my back and yank myself out of my fetal position in a continuous cycle. The others could only stare at Kero and me in horror as our coughing grew weaker and weaker. If they got closer, they'd only be hit by our flailing limbs. Syaoran tried multiple times to reach me, but each time spasms struck me and I would in turn strike him away. Despite his perseverance and bravery, his method wasn't and wouldn't work.

_When I'm a ghost for real,_ I thought abstractedly as my breath began to leave me permanently, _I'll be a much nicer ghost than I was when I was pretending._

Just when I was nearing the edge, the spasms stopped. I lay still for a few moments, just to be sure they weren't coming back, before drawing in great gulps of air and filling my aching lungs. Kero lay beside me, trying to replenish his own oxygen supply. The others stood looking at me with disbelief in their eyes, along with traces of worry and fear.

"_Why the long faces?"_ The familiar voice echoed down from the rafters, and I could see the purple strands disentangle themselves from Kero and me and rise to where the voice was mockingly calling down. _"Isn't laughter so much more pleasant? It's been proven to make you live longer, you know! Which is why it would be so ironic if you were to die laughing, my little Cherry Blossom. But I can't do away with you yet, oh no! There're still plenty of games to play, plenty more scenes to act out! I'm a patient person. I can wait. For now, enjoy your little party. Try not to laugh too much; I don't want you having all the fun while I'm away!" _

As soon as the Puppetmaster had begun to speak, Syaoran had pulled his sword out of nowhere and planted himself firmly in front of the girls, Kero, and me. Mei-Lin, too, had taking up a fighting stance, though she had nothing to equip herself with. Tomoyo had rushed to the sides of the two invalids in the room, shielding us physically with her body. Kero and I had lain there, unable to do anything due to our lack of oxygen and aching sides. Yet, almost as soon as It made his presence known, the Puppetmaster disappeared, leaving nothing behind but the taste of Its black-purple magic sour in my mouth.

It had physically, brutally controlled Kero and me. The worst of it was we hadn't even known it! I hadn't been able to sense the Puppetmaster's threads, even as they were worming their way into my mind and twisting my thoughts to Its will.

After a lengthy pause, Mei-Lin was the first to break the silence. "I suppose we'll have to forgive you your previous actions. After all, you were just a tad out of your mind." She smiled widely at me, and along with Tomoyo helped work me into a sitting position. Kero had planted himself wearily at my shoulder, but he had enough energy to smile back at Mei-Lin. I, too, found myself smiling. Then I found myself laughing. It was raspy, it hurt my throat, and it probably sounded like I was dying, but it was honest-to-goodness _real_ laughter coming straight from me and no-one else.

When everybody else started giving me freaked-out looks, I found that I had to explain myself. "It's just that, the Puppetmaster packed my sleeping bag."

Eventually the absurdity of the moment struck everyone else, and they began giggling along with me. It might have been the contagious hysteria, but the true laughter chorus we created sounded musical and wonderful to my ears, and I found my mood lifting considerably. Despite my literal laughing attack, laughing was one thing I would never be able to be afraid of. It was one thing the Puppetmaster could not, no matter how hard he tried, contaminate or contain forever. It was the nature of laughter to be jolly and merry and uplifting, and it would stay that way until the end of time.

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**Laughter is my love. I'll probably live to be a thousand, based on how much I laugh! That's part of the reason why I decided to do a creepy chapter on laughter. (It's a bit like that Code Lyoko episode where they almost laugh themselves t death with X.A.N.A.'s _ evil_ laughing gas.) The Puppetmaster will go away for a while, I promise! It seems like he's been popping up everywhere, right? Yeah, I know what you mean. I'll actually do some plot progressing, and mebbe some fluff for y'all in the next update! So, keep your eyes open!**

**Signing out to (hopefully) go rustle up some plot bunnies,**

**~Winged**

**P.S: OHMAIGOSH GUYS I JUST NOTICED THIS BUT I GOT 50 REVIEWS! Y'ALL ARE SO AWESOME, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Imma go cry tears of joy now, k-bye.**


	19. Who Are You?: Introducing Eriol

**OHMYHOLMES ITS AN UPDATE! Oh, and BTDubs, the Holmes part of the OHMYHOLMES (OMH) is from BBC's fabulous Sherlock TV miniseries. It is fabulous. It is also one of the reasons I am so late updating this. Another reason is the fabulous Homestuck. (ASDJFBAJKM SO GOOD AND I'M ONLY A TINY BIT INTO IT. D=) Another reason is that I am a terrible, terrible procrastinator. For that I apologize.  
But do not fear, Ch. 17 is finally here!**

**A few things I want to point out: One, I totally said earlier that Sakura had already transformed the three cards she took with her into the Puppetmaster's realm. Then I made her transforming the Light and the Dark together a huge plot point of that mini-arc. D= I am such a FAIL. And so sorry. I really have to work on continuity... But anyway, I tried to put a bandage on that boo-boo this chapter, so look out for it. (It's a really small bandage, but still!)  
Second, I have discovered the strikethrough option in Word. It appears twice in this chapter. SCAVENGER HUNT!  
Third, at the end of this chapter I make a POV switch to 3rd person. Do not be alarmed.  
Fourth, I AM INTRODUCING A NEW CHARACTER OH MY GOODNESS LOOK AT ME GO.  
Fifth, (wow, there are a lot of these!) I have completely scrapped the Japanese lingo. No more "sans" or "chans" or "kuns." I might even get rid of "otou" and "okaa" and the others. I've just gotten fed up with putting them in. Sorry fans who liked it, but I am American and I don't talk like that. (Sorry also if I sound rude; it's late and I'm sleepy XD) Dang, this chapter has so many C A G S! (See what I did there? Hint: Its a zig-zag.)  
H N E**

**Okay, how about I actually let you read the chapter now, huh?**

**Alright, go!**

**JK, Disclaimer time!: I don't own Cardcaptors. Okay, for reals this time! GO! **

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When the laughter had died down, silence once again reigned supreme. At this point, Kero and I were looking anywhere but at the other three people in the room. I felt awkward, like a whale in a desert, something that didn't belong there. The guilt and regret I felt for my earlier (albeit against my will) actions made the situation that much worse. I could only take so much silence before I cracked.

"I think I'll go outside and ring your gate doorbell like a normal person, so that your maids and mom don't freak out when they find me in your room in the morning, stuck without any logical explanation as to how I got up here." I presented the idea to the floor, but somehow Tomoyo understood that I was speaking to her.

"That's probably a good idea. We'll see you in a couple minutes, and we can restart this night completely." Tomoyo agreed, speaking to the light above my head yet talking directly to me.

"Yeah, and by the time Sakura actually gets up here properly instead of floating through the walls, maybe some of this tension will have gone away!" Mei-Lin did not know the meaning of the word 'subtle.' "Oh, and don't think you're off the hook, dearest cousin! I want to know every juicy detail of the romance in the loveless land! See what I did there? That could be the title of a romance novel!" As she wiggled her eyebrows at her cousin, who was even more intently looking anywhere but me, I redefined my earlier conclusion about the fiery Chinese girl:

Mei-Lin wasn't just uninformed of the meaning of 'subtle;' she was uninformed as to everything dealing with subtly and delicate issues. Dense as I may be, even I could tell when to avoid a subject.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tomoyo perk up at the hint of information on my love life. Tomoyo perked up at any incident where she could possible witness me being all "cute" and blush-y. Forget spider-sense, Tomoyo had Sakura-senses.

Taking our cue, Kero and I quickly fled from the room. The tension did not seem to be lessening. In fact, it appeared to me that the tension was growing even tenser, if that was at all possible.

"Man, the tension in there's thick enough to swim in!" Kero stated the obvious once we were safely outside the Daidouji mansion. I ignored him, focusing instead on thanking Float and Through for once again lending me their services tonight to get me out of Tomoyo's room, safely undetected by her multitude of security systems. Using my cards so often was beginning to take its toll. I was beginning to look forward to the 'sleep' part of the sleepover. As I pushed the button to gain admittance into the estate, I evaluated my physical and mental strength. Despite my heightened magical abilities, I still tired out relatively quickly. I still had a lot to learn.

"Oh, don't worry Sakura, I'm here to help you with that!" A melodious voice called down to me from the top of the Daidouji gate. Startled, I glanced up in surprise and anxiety. It wasn't the Puppetmaster again, was it? I'd had enough of him for one night! When I reexamined the voice, I realized there was no way it could be the evil thing in question. The voice came from one definitive source, not from all around. In addition, the voice had a soft quality that the Puppetmaster's, no matter how hard he tried to sound faux-comforting, lacked.

Kero had also been surprised by the voice, so much so that the little guardian beast forgot to stop flapping his tiny wings and revert to stuffed-animal form.

"You're right, I'm not your Puppetmaster, as you call him. I should like to think that I'm on your side, but I'll let you decide that for yourself." The figure called down, the full moon giving him or her backlight that prevented me from making out his or her features.

"Ah, I am a male, in case you were wondering." I could feel rather than see the person smile. Kero tensed up instinctively, placing his tiny body between me and the shadow on the brick wall.

"Oh, that's right! Where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself properly to you!" As he scolded himself, the figure drifted rather than jumped down from his lofty perch, and I could see that he had told the truth when he had stated his masculinity. His features were soft for a male, but the flatness of his chest and the width of his shoulders told me all I needed to know about his gender. When he turned his head towards mine, I could see the starlight flashing off his wire-rimmed circular spectacles.

"My name is Eriol Hiirigazawa. I believe you and I will be working very closely in the future." He winked at me.

_Dear lord. He's a playboy._ This was the only legitimate thought I had as "Eriol" introduced himself, a pretty sad thought considering all he had done up to uttering that line.

"I hope to see your pretty face sometime soon in the future! Say hello to my darling little great-great-great-and-a-couple-more-greats-great-nephew Syaoran for me, will you? I believe you and him to be on _good_ terms!" As he winked, the disturbing thought that the man reminded me a lot of a male version of Tomoyo flashed through my mind.

"Ta-ta for now!" He chirped (and I am not joking when I say chirped; he literally sing-songed his goodbye), grabbing one of my hands and lightly planting his lips to it. Before I could utter a single syllable, he was gone with the wind, leaving me dumbfounded and Kero struggling to form a complete sentence.

"What the hell?" It was the best Kero could come up with, but at least it was something. I, on the other hand, was still struggling to make some sort of audible sound.

Tomoyo found the two of us still standing outside her gate, having ignored the summons inside due to the enigmatic Eriol.

"Sakura? Sakura! Oh my gosh, the Puppetmaster hasn't come back, has he? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. It wasn't the Puppetmaster." I mumbled, finally finding my voice as I continued to stare off into the night.

"Whatever he was," Kero added blatantly, "He was definitely _not_ the Puppetmaster. Too gay."

"Too _what_?" Tomoyo asked, staring at Kero hopelessly.

"It's nothing; I'll explain it to you and the others inside. C'mon." I took Tomoyo by the arm, moving a fraction slower than usual due to my stupor. Yet some tiny part of me smiled when Tomoyo did not flinch back from the conflict with me. We'd had our fair share of trouble this night, but my best friend was still supportive of me. In addition, because of Eriol Hiirigazawa's sudden entrance and exit, all thoughts of the Puppetmaster's earlier ghost trick had been completely thrust from my mind. It was an odd reprieve, but one I was (subconsciously) thankful for all the same.

Only later, when I had time to think quietly to myself about what had happened, would I realize that Eriol had provided answers to questions I had only voiced in my head.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Mei-Lin was still her noisy, obtrusive self again, a small normality I was thankful for.

"I, um, got caught up with something." I stated quietly, rubbing the back of my hand unconsciously.

"More like some_one_!" Kero cried, flying out of my bag and out of his stuffed-animal disguise. He hated to sit still for too long, so pretending to be a stuffed animal whenever anyone out of _the know_ was around always sent him into a bit of a tick.

"Someone? Was it, you know, _him_?" Syaoran asked cautiously, eyeing me for any signs of bruising or coughing or laughing or purple thread.

"No, no, it was just a regular guy." I quickly flushed the notion out of their heads that the Puppetmaster had shown up yet again uninvited to the party. Realizing what I just said, I quickly rephrased myself. "Um, when I say regular…"

"She means complete nut! That guy was a psyche job; he was out of his mind! Going on about how he'd be working with us in the future, how he wants to be on our side, how he wants to see Sakura again! Shoot, he even knew Sakura's name! He knew yours too, kid." Kero gestured wildly in the air before pointing a figure at Syaoran, directing the last statement towards him.

"Well, when you put it like that-" I started, figuring that someone had to give the poor guy some slack, even if he was a bit… odd.

"He knew my name?" Syaoran ignored my mumble addition to Kero's statement, half-surprised, half-suspicious, and totally oblivious to the fact that Kero had called him 'kid.'

"Yeah! He was going on about saying high to 'my great-great-great nephew Syaoran' or whatever. It was sort of creepy, because he looked to be around your age and how would that even work, anyway?"

Syaoran looked the tiniest bit freaked out at Kero's words, but he wisely opted not to say anything. Mei-Lin, for once, was dumbfounded. Tomoyo was staring at me with a mixture of knowingness and curiosity, an odd combo, but one I had seen her pull off quite often.

"Kero, let me tell them what happened. You're skewing all the facts!" I cried, wanting to preserve the little scraps of dignity that remained of Eriol's character despite having known the man for a little less than five minutes.

Kero shrugged in a "suit-yourself" manner, and I restarted the story of what had happened after I had rung Tomoyo's doorbell from the beginning.

"First off, I just want to say that I think this guy's harmless. Towards us, I mean. He had a presence about him that suggested power, but it was too muted for me to guess how much he had. I'm guessing it was towards the higher end. He didn't use it against Kero and me, so I assume he's on our side. He stated he'd like to be, or something along those lines."

I paused for half a second, enough to give Mei-Lin an opening. "So he's not going to attack us? Well, I guess that's good, but you only met the guy for all of three minutes! Plus, do you even know his name? And how did he know yours? Did you tell it to him, because that's not very smart." A look from her surly cousin silenced her enough to let me cut into her question-rant.

"I said 'first off,' that implies there's more to come, doesn't it? Can't you let me finish before you start your questions?" I snapped, sounder harsher than I meant too.

"Sakura, I know you're tired and a bit worn out, but please don't take it out on us, alright?" Tomoyo was used to my weary-induced fits of anger. Lord knows she had experienced enough of them during finals week of previous years, where a lack of sleep plus nervousness over my grades had sent me into quite the state of mind.

I proceeded into my customary calm-down routine, taking deep breaths in and out while placing my hands perfectly parallel on my lap and letting Tomoyo run her fingers through my short hair. If Syaoran and Mei-Lin were giving me odd looks, I didn't see them: My eyes were closed.

"Can you go on now please, Sakura?" Tomoyo requested politely, drawing back from me when she felt the tension leave my body.

"Thank you." I smiled at her, feeling like myself for the first time all day.

"Alright!" I cheered, "From the beginning once more! So, since it was requested," I glanced pointedly at Mei-Lin, sticking my tongue out a bit at her to let her know I was teasing, "I'll tell you this mysterious boy's name. It's Eriol Hiirigazawa."

"He doesn't sound fully Japanese." Syaoran commented, staring at me. His look made me the slightest bit uncomfortable, but it was a nice uncomfortable.

"I don't think he is, though he spoke the language perfectly." I commented, turning my attentions towards Tomoyo to stop the choking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "As to how he knew my name, I'm not exactly sure. But he's not here to hurt us, as far as I could make out. He's just a bit… odd."

"Like I said," Kero huffed under his breath, "The guy's a psyche-job."

Kero didn't see it coming. My hand flew out of nowhere and pinned his mouth shut as it stuffed him behind my back. Smiling cheerily at Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, and Syaoran, I continued uninterrupted.

"As I was saying, I don't think Eriol means use any harm. In fact, he was rather, um, charming." A faint blush crept up into my cheeks, a change not unnoticed by Tomoyo.

"_Charming_, you say, eh Sakura?" Tomoyo grinned devilishly.

"Tomoyo, not now!" I begged, my traitorous eyes fleeting for half a second to the confused and a bit put-off Syaoran sitting across the way.

"Oh, _I_ see how it is!" Tomoyo cried triumphantly, and I knew there would be a lot of explaining to do later on. Then Tomoyo turned to Mei-Lin and had a whole conversation with the Chinese girl through their eyebrow movements. Make that a _whole_ whole lot of explaining.

"_Really_!" Mei-Lin thoughtfully exclaimed, turning a prying eye towards me. I brought both hands up to cover my now full-out red face as Syaoran added his gaze to the mixture, staring at me with his captivating stupid amber eyes. Unfortunately, brining my hands up released Kero, and he was none too happy about being held captive in the first place.

"What the hell, Sakura? You didn't have to be so mean! I was merely expressing my opinion on the Creep!" Kero pouted at me, but I was too busy hiding my face and avoiding Tomoyo and Mei-Lin's knowing glances (and Syaoran's cute confused one) to pay him any attention. When Kero finally realized he was shouting into a deaf ear, he floated away to the corner of Tomoyo's bed to sulk.

"Well then, Miss Sakura Kinomoto, I think we've heard enough about this Eriol person; if you say he's harmless, he's harmless. How about we move on to what we've been meaning to ask you and Mr. Syaoran Li about: Your time in the Puppetmaster's land!" Tomoyo had moved into her devil-mode, a state in which she would not stop her pestering until we had told our story to her satisfaction. It was a mode I dreaded her entering, as usually her focus during these times was my love life and me.

"Yes, and please darlings, don't leave anything out!" While Mei-Lin hissed out the sugar-coated threat, entering her own similar devil-mode, she and Tomoyo advanced on Syaoran and I, forcing us to withdraw from their separate advances until we were back to back.

When our shoulders first touched, I jumped away from it. Unfortunately, my jump brought me closer to the leering Tomoyo so I had to quickly inch back again. Nervously, I pressed my shoulder into Syaoran's, and was relieved when he seemed not to notice as he was preoccupied with Mei-Lin and her mode.

"W-Well, um, there's really not much to explain…" I trailed off timidly as Tomoyo appraised me with her sparkling amethyst eyes.

"Actually, I think there's quite a lot to explain." She teasingly responded, glancing for half a second at Syaoran's shoulder touching mine.

"We hardly know each other!" I protested, but it was in vain. Tomoyo and Mei-Lin were set in their matchmaking ways, and Syaoran and I would just have to suffer out the storm and salvage any of strained friendship that we could.

"Syaoran, why don't you be a dear and start." Mei-Lin offered another creepy fake-smile, and I heard Syaoran mumble something under his breath that sounded oddly like 'sister.'

Clearing his throat, he began, "Well, um, as you know, the Puppetmaster sucked us into his world, and it was, well, very dark. So dark you couldn't see anything. And it was very quiet. The darkness snuffed out not only all light, but also all sound. All feeling." Tomoyo and Mei-Lin had begun listening to the story of our adventure and escape with the same sadistic knowing looks on their faces, but the looks had slowly faded off as Syaoran added a bit of dark poetry into setting the scene of the Puppetmaster's realm. Even I was feeling a bit more placid when Syaoran had begun speaking; his voice was too dang melodious!

"It was lonely." I added, shivering as I remembered my first sensation of that dark place. "So, so, lonely." Syaoran took my hand, much like he had done in that other place, and again I was comforted.

"I heard Sakura calling out, so I answered. I think we were both thankful that we hadn't been separated in that darkness." Syaoran added his part of the story, and I nodded vigorously, subconsciously tightening my grip on his hand.

"But then we got into a bit of an argument. I don't know if it was the darkness of the place manipulating my feelings or just my extreme fear, but I began to, um, cry." In a softer voice, while looking down at my feet, I added, "The darkness reminded me of my darkest night."** (A/N The 'darkest night' is the night Sakura lost her mother, FYI and in case you wanted to know! XP) **Though Mei-Lin and Syaoran looked confused, Tomoyo got my reference. She took my free hand comfortingly.

"Anyway, I guess he was trying to comfort me and get me to stop crying, but I took it the wrong way and sort of… ran off." I cringed as I remembered how stupid I had been. I'd really have to learn to get my stubbornness under control.

"I felt terrible as soon as she left. Comforting has never really been my thing. I tried stumbling around for a few moments, searching for her, before I realized that it would be smartest to stay in one place. If she had run away from me in a straight path, she could just turn back around and run that same direction. I couldn't use my magic to produce a flame; the darkness snuffed it out. So I sat, and I waited, and eventually I heard her call my name. It wasn't long after I responded that I was tackled by a babbling Sakura." Syaoran smiled over at me, and I fought to keep the red from my cheeks as I smiled back.

"How did you find your way back?" Mei-Lin asked. I was glad that our story had enraptured her so much that she and Tomoyo had seemingly completely overlooked the 'tackled by a babbling Sakura' part.

"Well, after I got myself to calm down, I realized that I couldn't feel my Cards anywhere. It started a bit of another panic attack. But then Voice told me that it was all right, and that I still had the three cards I had held before entering the realm. They were Maze, Light, and Dark, by the way. She also said that in order to use the light I must first know the dark, or something like that. Then she disappeared, and I finally realized that I could try to use Maze to help me back through the maze of darkness to Syaoran. And it worked!"

"We made up, and she explained to me about why she had been so afraid of my sword." Syaoran gritted his teeth as he finished the sentence, the old anger that he had been unable to save me from his own sword still hurting him. I was about to interrupt him and again tell him it wasn't his fault, when he started talking again. "After that, we might've actually managed to get out of there if the Puppetmaster hadn't struck again."

Tomoyo turned to me with wide eyes, and I nodded a confirmation to her silent question. "He drew both of us deeper into his realm, into a place where you really felt _nothing_. Syaoran might have been right next to me, but I wouldn't have known. I couldn't even feel my own body! The only thing that let me know I was still alive was the Puppetmaster's taunts." I felt sick remembering how he had threatened Syaoran, teasing me about breaking the boy's bones as if it were just a game to him!

"I didn't know what was happening. I didn't even know who I was at first, but it came back to me when I sensed a pink aura exploding forcefully towards two smaller auras. I knew I had to help." Syaoran meshed his story into mine, a part of his ordeal I hadn't yet heard.

"I thought I had transformed the Light and the Dark at the hospital, but I had been wrong. They were still Clow Cards. I had been unable to transform Light earlier in the first stage of the Puppetmaster's realm, but I had been trying to change it by itself. I finally realized Voice's instructions of the understanding the dark to know the light; I needed to transform both of the cards at the same time. My attempt at transforming the cards was probably the aura explosion that Syaoran felt. I had been trying to transform both cards when I began to falter. I was on the verge of collapsing when I got my second wind, fueled by Syaoran's own aura." I smiled at him, silently thanking him for all of his help.

He smiled back, welcoming me and thank me for getting us out of there before adding the finishing touches to his part of the story. "I don't know what Sakura did after that, but before I knew it I was back in the hospital with Sakura safe in my arms, collapsing onto the hospital bed with her and into a peace-filled sleep." If Syaoran knew how misinterpreted his last statement could be, he didn't show it. I, on the other hand, was blushing under our interrogators' raised eyebrows.

"I let out Light and Dark, and they set us free." I decided to leave out the part about how the Puppetmaster had practically given his consent for us to waltz on out of his realm. (Though trust me, Syaoran and I had been far from waltzing.) "And the rest, well, you guys have seen the rest." The rest that included the Puppetmaster taking over my mind.

When we finished our story, all of us finally became fully aware to the fact that Syaoran and I were holding hands. We quickly drew back, but not before Tomoyo and Mei-Lin had given us both fully-raised eyebrows.

"Are you sure that's _all_ that happened?" Tomoyo prodded, giving my hand a little tug before she removed her own hand.

"Jeez, Tomoyo, lay-off! Sakura's had a long night, and in case you were wondering, so have I!" Kero finally entered the conversation from his perch on Tomoyo's bed, looking down at us grumpily. "_Oh gee, Kero, sorry for not respecting your feelings! I totally forgot that you were controlled by the Puppetmaster too and you and Sakura both almost suffocated by __**laughing**__. My bad._" His mimic of Tomoyo's voice was really something horrible, but Tomoyo seemed not to mind. Thankfully, she wasn't offended at Kero's harsh tone and bitter words.

"Kero's right, it** has** been a long night, and I'm finally starting to feel it!" Mei-Lin yawned, stretching her arms high above her head. She, too, understood where the little guardian was coming from with his biting tone. Said guardian quickly realized how rude he had been, uttered a quick "sorry," and fluttered down to lay next to me.

"I've been feeling it longer than you have!" I joked, poking her in the ribs playfully. She just laughed at me, rolling onto the ground and extracting a sleeping bag from nowhere.

"Syaoran, you can take the guest bedroom down the hall. I think you already put your stuff in there, right?" Tomoyo asked politely, dismissing him in a very polite, very hostess-like manner. Tomoyo was always the graceful one.

"Yes, thank you. Goodnight, Tomoyo, Mei-Lin. Sakura." It was probably just my overzealous imagination, but I thought he said my name with the tiniest warm infliction in it. I shrugged off the notion as I unpacked my sleeping bag and he exited Tomoyo's stately bedroom, shutting the door and turning off the light behind him.

"Goodnight guys!" I spoke to the darkened room. It was a comforting dark, one that I knew my friends were in, and so different from the darkness I had discussed earlier.

"Sleep tight!" Tomoyo replied, and I could hear her settling in as well.

"Don't let the Puppetmaster bite!" Of course Mei-Lin would insert some sort of cheesy line into the day. It was her style.

I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.

* * *

"Tomoyo?" The whisper was quiet, coming from the energetic young Chinese woman.

"Yes Mei-Lin?" The young Japanese woman, Tomoyo, replied, lifting her head up off her pillow where it had lain when she had pretended to sleep.

"Sakura's asleep now, right?" The Chinese woman, Mei-Lin, asked hesitantly, still keeping her voice's volume to a minimum.

"Yes, and you can talk a bit louder. She sleeps like a rock!" The other woman, Tomoyo, was still whispering, but her voice was a bit louder than Mei-Lin's. True to her word, the young woman named Sakura slept on, dreaming of peaceful things for the first time in days. Her small yellow-orange guardian beast lay curled about her head of short brown hair.

"Good, then we can discuss the plan!" Mei-Lin cheered quietly, scooting her sleeping back closer to Tomoyo and leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner.

"They were so cute today! I think the video-camera Kero set up is still running; we should have footage of it to remember the better parts of today by!" Tomoyo smiled, pointing to the softly blinking red light off in a remote corner.

"All right!" Mei-Lin responded, pumping her fist. "They are going to be the cutest couple ever, and no puppetmaster's going to stop that!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Tomoyo agreed, nodding her head firmly as she glanced over at her sleeping best friend. Sakura and Syaoran would work out, she could feel it. In fact, she would make it happen, she and Mei-Lin.

"Let Operation: Matchmaker commence!" Mei-Lin and Tomoyo shook on it, before finally settling down and letting sleep overcome them.

In the room at the end of the hall, a young man turned over in his sleep, unaware of the plot his cousin and his hostess had cooked up for him and the girl who made his heart beat a little bit faster.

* * *

**...I realized something this chapter, guys. I realize I sort of suck at doing romantic scenes. And don't try to flatter me by going, No! You are good at them! _I'm_ the one who sucks at romance. (And you don't suck, by the way. At least, I think you don't.) Anyway, this story will be good practice for me! (Because once this story ends I have an idea in mind for another SxS romance thing, in and AU. Also with TxE. But its in the works, and its not coming out till this story is done!) **

**Also, I think I'm beginning to lose the fire for this one. Don't worry, I'll still finish it! But I think I'm nearing the final little plot-line climax thing. As soon as I get Yue in there, I'll be golden and prepped for the countdown! There's still a bit to go, so be on the lookout for new chapters!**

**See ya!**

**~Winged**


	20. Dear Diary

**Guys, guess what? IT'S A CHAPTER WOOT WOOT! Yeah, I know I'm super-late. Yeah, I know you all hate me right now. Yeah, I know I should've updated weeks earlier. But I'm updating now!  
I am sorry, though, so to make up for it I came up with a longer-than-usual-ish chapter. Plus, it's in a new format that I wanted to try! Since I write in 1st person, it might not be too terribly difficult, but I had fun with it!**

**Oh, and sorry for the insert in a totally unrelated fandom, but have y'all ever heard of the BBC series Sherlock? It's fabulous. If you haven't heard of it, you should go get informed! For those of you who do know of it, check out my fledgling fangictioner friend Quend! She's just starting out, so she doesn't have much up yet, but she's a truely great writer!**

**For your enjoyment and per request, I've written a slower chapter. It does hold a pretty main plot piece, but it's not super-actiony. There are also little bits of fluff scattered here and there, but not enough to overload you! **

**Now, if y'all have kept with me through all of that, here's the story! (Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, Clamp does. BUT I DO OWN THE PLOT OF THIS STORY, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE CHARACTERS! So there.)**

* * *

Dear Diary,

Today was strange. Well, every day of my life's been strange, ever since I found the Book of Clow and awakened the Cards. In fact, today might have seemed normal compared to some of the days I've had in the past few – What has it been, months? Weeks? I think it was weeks, crazy as that sounds. – In the past few weeks. Yet today was especially strange.

It wasn't strange in a bad way. If I had to choose a way, good or bad, I'd say it was strange in a good way. A comforting way, a way that made me feel like there's something good coming for me, despite all the bad that's happened recently. Nothing about this strangeness reminded me of the Puppetmaster, which I'm thankful for. I'm growing awfully afraid of him, Diary. What he's done already, what he's capable of doing… But I'm not writing in you to talk about him! Only happy thoughts are allowed in this book! Back to the strange!

I digressed quite a bit there, didn't I Diary? And I haven't even gotten to the point yet! Getting so off-topic is something Mei-Lin would do. Though, I guess I can be a bit spacey at times. I've found myself spacing out a lot recently. My mind wanders to all sorts of topics, from the Puppetmaster to what species Kero is exactly to what I'll be making for dessert. Most recently I've found another subject on my mind: A certain amber-eyed boy. Oh Diary, look at me blush! Promise not to tell, okay? But he's just so wonderful and smart and kind and…

Oh, never mind all that Diary! You don't really care all that much about my little crushes, don't you? I can't fall in love with anybody, especially not right now. The Puppetmaster's already used the ones I love to get to me. What about my family? What happens when he sets his sights on them?

…

And once again, Diary, I've managed to get off topic. I'll actually get to it now, the strangest strange I've yet encountered. It happened today, and I'm writing now, right after the events, so that they'll stay clear in my mind. I don't know how much longer that clarity will last, so I'd better stop talking about all my fears and nonsense and get down to it:

The strangest strange I've yet encountered was a girl. A chestnut-haired girl dressed in a dress of sky. But I'm getting ahead of myself, Diary! The strangest strange really starts at school.

Like most strange things, this one took place on a Wednesday.

It started like any other Wednesday; with Touya's books scattered everywhere, making it hard for me to climb down the stairs without breaking my neck. Da had breakfast out for us. By the time I finished eating, I was late in getting out the door. So, like any other day, I skated my lungs out getting to school. (And, like any other day since I had discovered the book of Clow and what I could do, I used Dash to help me get to school faster. That little purple kitten-fox sure can sprint!)

Arrival at school was the same as always. Even with Dash's help, I barely managed to get through the door before sensei. Old habits die hard, I guess. Maybe that could be my New Year's resolution this year; to get to school on time. New Years is coming up, after all. Winter Holiday is just around the corner!

But I'm digressing again, Diary! You really need to help me stay on track. You're not doing a very good job helping me keep my focus!

Anyways, arrival at school was normal. All the crazy events of the weekend and the previous week had pretty much died down, but I did every once in a while catch people giving me anxious looks out of the corner of their eyes. Everyone was overly nice and polite towards me, Chiharu, Takashi, Rika, and Naoko especially. However, their politeness and distance made me believe that they were treating me as a glass vase that would shatter upon impact. I'm a tough girl! I've lasted this long, haven't I? Their actions made me a bit sad, though, and I'm not really sure why. I guess I think I'm losing them as friends. It's hard to swallow, but it's a fact of life. Everyone moves on eventually, and my newly discovered magic has forced me to move on earlier than I would have liked. The secret I keep divides me now from those who were once closest to me. Everyone but Tomoyo, that is. She's still as close to me as she ever was – closer, even – and for that I'm too thankful to put into words.

Despite the cautious glances and pitying smiles, school went on as usual. The strange part didn't happen until after school, but there was one aspect of the day I wanted to mention: The announcement sensei made at the end of class.

He called us all to attention, like normal. He quickly went over what we had studied today and our upcoming due dates for projects and assignments, like normal. He read his ending quote-of-the-day, like normal. But then he paused, glanced at his computer for half a moment, and made the announcement.

Apparently, we were to have a new student joining us the week before Winter Holiday. A new student in and of itself wouldn't have been too strange, but a new student coming in right before we all went out for break? And almost halfway through the year as well! Not only that, this student was the third to have transferred into our specific class. Guess what trait all of our new students had shared so far? They all knew about Clow, his Cards, and his Book. So far, both new students had ended up on my side. How long could that streak continue?

I don't know for sure Diary, but I'm getting a funny feeling about this new student. Remember a couple days back, when I met that strange bespectacled boy while spending the night at Tomoyo's? I have the strangest feeling that this new student is that boy. I just can't tell if it's a good strange or a bad strange.

Kero says that my magic might lend me limited skills of premonition, at least until I realize its full potential inside of me. He says after that he has no clue what I'll be able to do. Somehow that's not really a comforting statement to me.

Let's continue on to another topic, Diary. This one's getting a bit… worrying. I know I should be able to tell you anything I need to get out, but there are still some things I just can't commit to paper. Some thoughts need to stay in my head, locked in a little corner where they can't affect the rest of my mind. Some thoughts just don't need to get out.

Whew! I feel all deep and smart! Thanks for listening Diary, but I'm afraid I'm not quite done with this story yet. You see, that first little strangeness wasn't the _main_ strangeness. The main strangeness was stranger, and more confusing. And it occurred after school let out. But first, a little bit more on the new student-strangeness.

After sensei's surprise announcement the classroom was in chaos, as one could have guessed it would be. The students were all excited and surprised, and for good reason. We had never gotten so many new students before; it was pretty exciting! The entire class spent the rest of the end of the day arguing about whether the new student was a boy or a girl, a foreigner or a native, a musician or an athlete. The entire class minus four.

Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, Syaoran, and I spent the time they were talking huddled in a corner. I shared my own thoughts as to what was going on with them, telling them it had to be that Eriol guy I had met outside Tomoyo's. That he just felt right as the transfer student.

Syaoran had said that I made sense, that he believed I was right. While he was speaking, Tomoyo and Mei-Lin had been giving each other meaningful looks. I don't even want to think about what they meant. I mean, you've been there with me before, haven't you Diary? All of Tomoyo's romance schemes, her ploys to hook me up with this boy or that boy. It was bad enough when I was eleven and it was only Tomoyo railing on me, but now that I'm in high school and Tomoyo has backup? I hate to say it, but I'm pretty much screwed. The worst part is I know exactly who they're trying to 'secretly' pair me up with. It's so obvious that it's Syaoran! And you know what? I don't think I necessarily hate their giggles and raised eyebrows. Maybe I'm going insane Diary, but sometimes I feel that I want to laugh about my future as Mrs. Sakura Li with them!

…Oh my god I can't believe I just wrote that. I have a strict policy of not erasing or crossing out anything I write down in here or else that whole paragraph would have been torn out and burned. I myself am burning up right now, staring at the words just a couple lines above what I'm currently writing. Let's have a quick topic change!

Back to Eriol: I definitely think he's the new transfer student. The others agree; all the pieces fit together. What we can't agree on is why he's coming.

I think he wants to help us. He had said himself that he wanted to help with the Puppetmaster, and that he'd like to consider himself on our side. I didn't sense any malicious intentions from him, and I usually have a pretty good gut on who's speaking truth and whose spreading lies. Remember the whole Kyoko incident? Yeah, I had a pretty good grasp on that one. She still thanks me, in case you were wondering.

Tomoyo agrees with me. She trusts my judgment, as I've never given her any real reason not to. (Or any reason she could really blame me for.) Plus, she got the same gut feeling that I did from hearing about the guy. Tomoyo's gut is even stronger than mine, which is part of the reason I'm so nervous about her and Mei-Lin's scheming about you-know-who. If she thinks he's, well, _right_, then what am I supposed to do? What if he _is_ right? What then?

Jeez, I'm so bad at staying on track, Diary! And my main distraction seems to be a certain amber-eyed, green-magiced boy! Maybe it is Fate, Diary. But I like to believe that there is no such thing; that we make our own destinies with our own choices and decisions. That we aren't all actors on a life-stage, playing out our parts with the strings attached to us tugging this way and that. I've had quite enough of puppets and marionettes to last me several lifetimes, yet I have a nagging feeling that I'll have to deal with them for longer than I want to.

Anyways, Tomoyo and I are both agreed on the Eriol thing. Mei-Lin and Syaoran aren't so certain. They haven't known Tomoyo or me long enough to know to trust our guts, and I think they're naturally more skeptic people. Maybe it's in their blood, I dunno. They don't like the idea of Eriol coming to Tomoeda, that's for sure. Syaoran especially. I think it might be because Eriol referred to him as a great-great-great-great-nephew or something like that. Also, Syaoran didn't like the fact that Eriol knew him by name. I admit, even I was a bit weirded out when Eriol named both Syaoran and I, but in my new lifestyle I'm not afforded much time or energy for worrying, as just about everything I've seen could be described as 'weird.'

The great-nephew bit is weird though, even for me. I mean, Eriol looked to be about my age, maybe a bit older. Definitively not old enough to be an uncle of anyone, let alone a great-great-great-great-uncle!

It still doesn't deter me from believing him to be a helper, not a hurter. I truly think he wants the Puppetmaster gone. He wants me to succeed.

But I've spent enough time on Eriol Hiirigazawa, Diary! I haven't even touched on the main strangeness of my day yet!

It started once I left school. I suppose I ought to have learned better by now, but I couldn't help it. I had to get a couple minutes to myself, away from even Tomoyo. Diary, I'm sorry, I know I promised you I'd never take that route again after what happened, but it was the only way. I took the shortcut.

I know you're frowning at me now Diary, and I know! It was stupid. But I had Kero with me the entire time and my wand and keys ready. Besides, nothing even happened.

_But what about what happened last time?_ That's probably what you'd say to me, if you could. That's what Tomoyo would say too, after fretting about me and scolding me for a while. I know the route almost killed me last time. But, technically, that wasn't the route's fault! It was Syaoran's sword striking at me, or more specifically, the Puppetmaster controlling said sword. The chance that it would happen again was tiny. Besides, the Puppetmaster had already had his fun with me in that way, and I don't think he'd repeat himself.

But you already know all about that, Diary. I told you that story weeks ago. Just flip back a couple pages, it's there. All the nice little details about my near-death experience. I've had quite a few of those recently, and I don't think it's at all healthy. I don't know how many more of them I can take Diary, before I finally crack. Don't tell anyone – especially not Tomoyo – but I can feel the pressure being exerted on me. I can feel myself starting to shift under the pressure. And I'm scared to find out what will happen to me when I finally break.

Look at me being all depressing, Diary. I hate being such a downer. Some may call me ditzy and overly-happy, but I prefer that to being overly-depressed! And today was not a depressing day. It was a wonderful, fantastical, _magical_ day!

I think the weirdness happened around 4, but I can't be certain of the time. All the details are a bit foggy, everything except her. She's still fresh in my mind.

I had been walking through the forest for a little bit, Kero complaining about my dangerous choice of scenery the entire way, when she stepped out from behind a tree. I could feel her first rather than see her, but she didn't feel threatening. Her presence was a gentle one, her aura protecting.

Her visage was beautiful. She was petite, even more so than me, and had long, wavy hair that was styled in much the same was as Tomoyo's, though hers was a few shades lighter. Her eyes were a deep-sea teal and had such a depth to them I was astounded! She looked like such a child, yet her eyes held the wisdom of a thousand years. At any rate, she couldn't have been a human child, not with the two pure white wings crowning her head. Below the wings, resting on her brow, was a dark blue star. Above either of her ears were deep blue spheres of the same color. The three jewels were a darker hue of the sky blue she wore as a dress. Over the dress was a cloak reminiscent of the wings on her head, fluttering down around her ankles. Her shoulders were capped with two more wings, both the same blue of the dress. Her pretty face was lightened with a smile.

Would you look at that, Diary? Look at all that poetic description up there! I didn't know I had it in me; the girl must have brought it out! Her looks weren't the main weirdness I've been telling you about, though they certainly contributed. No, the main weirdness was what she told me.

I'll write it down for you and for me, whenever I need to look back on what she said. I don't know if I'll write it down accurately, but I don't think I'll have forgotten too much of what she said at this point. It was pretty memorable, and it goes as follows:

_Me_: Oh, um, hello.

_Girl_: Hello Sakura, Kero.

_Kero_: Hey, who the heck are you? You feel like a… like a…

_Girl_: A Spirit? You'd be right.

_Me_: You're a spirit? But then, why are you here?

_Girl_: Because I want to be!

_Kero_: Sure you do. Just like every other spirit we've met so far wants to be taken in by Sakura _so_ badly. Don't trust her, Sakura. She's probably under the influence of that damn Puppetmaster.

_Girl_: Of course I'm not under his influence! I doubt that he could contain me for very long, especially considering who my mother is. She would free me in no time.

_Me_: Your mother?

_Girl_: Yes; you've met her!

_Me_: The Light One!

_Girl_: Is that what you call her? How peculiar!

_Kero_: Is this chick talking about the one you dreamed about?

_Me_: Yes, I think so.

_Girl_: I am. She is not my mother in the conventional sense, not in the same way that you humans see mothers. Yet she is my mother in spirit, which is what really counts, is it not?

_Me_: I wouldn't know. I haven't had a mother in flesh or in spirit.

_Girl_: Haven't you? What of the Gentle One? Is she not like a mother, sister, and best friend to you? Has she not been for the past 12 or so years of your life?

_Me_: You mean Tomoyo? I dunno, I guess I've never really thought about it that way…

_Girl_: There are many things you've never thought about, Sakura!

_Kero_: What's that supposed to mean? Are you insulting my Mistress?

_Girl_: Of course not! I came to help Sakura, not to hurt her! Here, let me show you.

I'm gonna pause for a second and stop my narration, but you really have to have this described. I'd draw a picture for you if I could, but you know that Chiharu's way more skilled with a pencil than I am! So instead I'll use my words. They'll work as well, don't you think?

The object the Girl brought out was pulsing steadily, bathed in a light pink. Like her, the object was flanked by two feather-white wings. A small crown rested on its top, the same blue as the star on the girl's forehead. In fact, the crown had a star-shaped cut-out, and I wondered if the girl had gotten her own star from the crown. It took me a while to place my finger on what the item was, but after a few moments the shape clicked in my head.

It was a heart. Not an actual, anatomically correct heart, but an inverted cherry blossom petal-shaped heart. The girl held it gently in her hands, smiling down at it and cradling it like one would cradle a child. It was beautiful.

I'll get back to the dialogue now, Diary:

_Kero_: Is that a heart? Why the hell do you have a heart?

_Me_: Shut up, Kero! But why **do** you have a heart?

_Girl_: It's much more than a heart! It's a personification of Love.

_Me_: Love? You mean, actual love? Love-love?

_Girl_: Yes, as you put it, love-love!

_Kero_: Both of you are absolute nuts. How can you have a personification of love? That's insane!

_Girl_: How can you have a personification of Light, or of Darkness? Of Big or of Small? Of Power or of Time? Surely you, of all creatures, would have an idea of the possibilities of the world we live in!

_Me_: Kero, your face! You look so put off!

_Kero_: …Shut up.

_Me_: So, what is the heart for anyways? Or, what is the Love for?

_Girl_: It's for you, of course! It's the strongest weapon you have against the Puppetmaster; stronger than the Cards you possess and the magic you have. It's stronger than me, and it may even be stronger than my mother.

_Me_: And you're just going to give it to me?

_Girl_: I would, if I could! You have to find it for yourself. I'm just here to help you begin your search.

_Kero_: Why would she have to fine it? It's right there in front of her!

_Girl_: This is merely a manifestation of Love in its actuality. It's a small piece, hardly enough to damage the Puppetmaster. No, Sakura will have to search out the true Love.

_Me_: Well, can you at least tell me where to look?

_Girl_: Do you really have to ask me that when it's staring you in the face? The Gentle One and the Fighter have a better sense of where Love lies than you.

_Me_: Y-You mean, um, S-Syaoran?

_Girl_: I could. It depends on you. In order to find Love, first you must be willing to search for it!

_Kero_: Before she begins her 'searching,' I suppose you're not going to let Sakura turn you into a card?

_Girl_: Not yet, no! But one day. Once you know Love, you'll know me as well, and I'll come to you. I do wish you good luck on your search!

_Me_: Um, thank you?

_Girl_: You'll probably be hearing from my mother soon. After all, the Clever One is arriving, and he might leave you with some questions.

_Me_: Wait, you're leaving? I don't even know who you are!

_Kero_: Or where your stupid 'true Love' is!

_Girl_: Like I told you, Sun Lion, it's looking your Mistress right in the face! It may do well for you to find Love of your own as well. And you may call me Hope, Sakura. Remember, I am always there, in your mind, through the darkest of times.

Once the girl said those words, she disappeared, leaving me a heck of a lot more confused than when she had arrived. I had ventured into the woods to clear my mind, not to continue to clutter it!

Yet the things she said about Love… About Syaoran… They sounded true! I'm so confused, Diary, yet I don't want to talk to anyone about what happened. I swore Kero into silence. I know I really should talk to Mei-Lin and Tomoyo about this, and maybe even the boy himself, but I can't bring myself to do it. Do I really want to be In Love? It's a big leap for me, despite everything wonderful people say about it. And do I really want to use Love as a weapon? Love is supposed to be a sweet, tender thing, not capable of killing anything or defeating any dark force! What could I do to the Puppetmaster? Love him to death? And what if he turns it around on me, like I had earlier feared? What if he takes my Love and uses it to hurt me?

I don't know Diary, I just don't know. I've never felt so confused in my life, yet for today, that's okay. Because I have people standing with me who are just as confused. I have people standing with me who don't know about any of the events that have happened recently to me, yet they're still standing with me because that's who they are. I have those standing with me who can't do anything but cheer me on, and so that's what they do. I have those standing with me who have saved my life. And I have those standing with me whose life I've saved.

Today I am okay, Diary, even though the future is uncertain and the past is painful. I'm okay, because the girl was right. Even in the darkest of times, it is always there. So I'm keeping it in mind. I'm keeping hope.

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**So, how'd you guys like the Diary style? Fun? Confusing? Exactly the same as my normal style? Let me know! Also, I'm trying to begin wrapping this story up. And I'm not even going to pretend I know how to go about doing so. It might take a while, but I am determined to see this story through til the end. I hate authors who stop a story in the middle the most! So please, stay with me for this! And thanks for reading this far!**

**~Winged**


	21. Consequences of Sound

**This is short for a reason guys, and that reason is this: I had to post something. Y'all have been so wonderfully patient, that you guilt tripped me into posting. I should really be sleeping right now, or studying for finals. But, the guilt trip! So I'm gonna keep this A/N short and let you get on to reading what little I have! (Sorry it's not much!)**

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My alarm was incredibly loud this morning, blasting through the walls of my sleep and slamming me with layers of annoying beeping sounds. Groaning, I smacked the off button and blinked at the clock in surprise. The glowing red numbers read 6:00. That was odd; I never woke up at my first alarm's sounding. It usually took two or three Snooze-Buttons before the sound finally penetrated through to my sleep-deafened ears. Today the alarm had exploded through my room, nearly making my ears bleed.

"Kero, did you hear that? Kero?" I muttered, my voice sounding loud to my own ears. There was no reply.

"Kero!" I moaned, and a moan answered me in reply.

"What, Sakura? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

"It's time to get up for school. Didn't you hear the alarm?" I was confused; Kero was supposed to have better hearing than I did, being the whatever-animal-he-was.

"No, I didn't hear the alarm and, up 'til recently, neither did you!" When Kero was tired, Kero was grumpy.

"But it was so loud!" I cried, and immediately shrank away from the intensity of my own booming voice.

"No, it wasn't loud." Kero had finally crept up out of his bedroom – a drawer I had cleaned out and transformed into his own personal space – and was blinking irritably at me. "It was its normal volume. Maybe something's wrong with your ears."

I shrugged; stranger things _had_ happened to me. Maybe it was just a normal ear infection for once. A normal ear infection that just happened to intensify my hearing by about a thousand percent…

"HEY SAKURA IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO- oh." Touya came crashing into my room, yelling and holding a frying pan full of steaming hot bacon and eggs above his head.

His voice was too loud; it splintered into my brain with a sharp pain. Loudloudpainloudloudbadquiet. "What do you want, Touya?" I ground out between clenched teeth and shut eyes.

"You're up." Touya stated simply, lowering his frying pan and blinking in confusion at me. His voice was still a couple decibels louder than I would have preferred, but at least it wasn't driving spikes into my head anymore.

"Yes, I'm up, and yes, you are extremely loud and annoying." I frowned at him, squinting at the bright light filtering in from the doorway behind him.

"Well, usually you sleep in so late that you're rushing out the door all arms a-flurry like the little monster you are!"

"I am not a monster!" I huffed, crossing my arms and sticking my tongue out at my older brother.

"…And your stance right now totally proves that." Touya stated.

He ducked out of my room before the pillow I threw had a chance to smack the smug smirk off of his lips. "Breakfast is ready, if you're awake enough to eat it!" He called as he headed downstairs.

"He's the monster, not me. He's a Touyazilla." I muttered under my breath. Kero, who had quickly hid inside his bedroom, came out now to hover by my shoulder.

"You know, Sakura," He stated in my ear, his voice echoing, "If you don't hurry up and move it, you may just be late again, despite your unnaturally early start."

"Hoe." I breathed out quietly, dragging my legs over the side of my bed and into my fluffy pink slippers. "Alright day, bring on all your noises! I can take 'em!"

"Can' take 'ny more noise." I was slumped over at my lunch table, clutching my head in my hands.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Tomoyo's voice sounded over my head, and I could feel her hand on my shoulder. I kept my face buried in my hands, trying to relieve some of the pounding in my head with my massaging palms.

"Hedake." My words were mumbled through half-open lips.

"I've got medicine, if you need it." Mei-Lin offered, her voice sounding from somewhere to the left of me. My God, why were they so _loud_?

"Please." I was limiting myself to single words, as my own voice was the loudest to my ears. I didn't just hear it from the words I spoke into the air; I heard it from when it was still just a series of vibrations in my throat. Thus, I kept my sentences short and slurred.

Mei-Lin took the pills out of her bag. They made such a sharp racket and cacophony as they hit up against the side of their container that I flinched.

"Are you sure it's just a headache?" Syaoran was sitting across from me, and his deep voice didn't hurt as bad as the others. I was afraid to admit the reason why.

"S'not Puppetmas'er." I mumbled into my palm, each syllable costing me. "No purple."

I finally looked up from my hands. Three sets of worried eyes were staring at me, one set from the left, one from the right, and one directly across me.

"'M shure." I stated, frowning at their looks of skepticism.

"It's not the Puppetmaster. I've already checked." Kero's voice, I think, was the worst. It was at a frequency that rubbed me the wrong way.

"'S fine you don' trus' me. Don' care." I grumbled, irritated by just about anything and everything at this moment. I think it was the headache's fault.

"We do trust you Sakura, it's just that-" Tomoyo was petting my shoulder, but I really wasn't in any sort of forgiving, gentle mood.

"Shaddup." I groaned, retreating back to my hands. When I felt something poking them, I glanced out.

Mei-Lin was offering me two small, red pills and mouthing "Take these. And stop snapping at everyone." I graciously accepted and followed her orders.

"I hope they work; you don't look so good Sakura!" Tomoyo frowned down at me. Tomoyo, like Syaoran, had a voice that was a bit easier on my ears. Apparently, she had forgiven me for my earlier jab at her. She was too worried about me to be angry, I guess.

"Hope too." I brought my hands up again, going as far as to physically slump down onto the table. My head continued to pulse steady aching.

The pills didn't work. I knew as soon as I left the lunch table that they wouldn't work, yet I had still soldiered through the day of school. Winter break was coming up. I could be sick then. For now, I had work to do if I wanted to pass the upcoming winter tests.

In addition, it was a Friday. If I couldn't grin and bear it through one measly day of school before the glorious weekend, what kind of Cardmistress would I be? So I had sat there, grinning and bearing it, through a whole agonizing two hours. I think my friends had picked up on my pain; Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, and Syaoran all took great care to speak extra softly to me, and every once in a while one of them would shoot a look at me over a shoulder or textbook to see if I was doing alright. I appreciated their concern. (Yet, a part of me still wished that Naoko or Rika or Takashi or Chiharu would turn around and take an interest in my well-being as well. None of them really speak to me like they used to, not since Syaoran had transferred in and I'd had my… episode. Though, to be honest, they had begun to drift apart from me as soon as I had opened that Book of Clow. Our lives were too vastly different now. Nothing could be as it was.)

After the final bell sounded, Mr. Terada gave us another reminder about the transfer student arriving Monday, the first day of the last week of school before break. Throughout his whole announcement, the four of us had been mouthing 'Eriol' to each other. Even Kero had been nodding inside my backpack, his arms crossed sagely. (If you hadn't picked up on it by now, Kero tends to go everywhere with me. He says it's because he has to fulfill his duties as my 'guardian,' but I think it's just because he usually ends up getting something special to eat wherever we go.) I'm a bit apprehensive about having that mysterious boy join us, yet at the same time I have to admit, my heart's a bit aflutter. Not in _that_ way, of course, but I'm excited. Maybe he can help us find a way to finally put down the Puppetmaster!

And finally, _finally_, school was out, and with it all the noises that had been my demons for the entire day. I stepped out of school with a wide, if weary, smile on my face, ready for the peace and quiet…

…Of the incredibly noisy outside world. Everywhere I turned, there were car alarms going off or dogs barking or women chatting noisily away on their phones. Teens were popping bubblegum and children were chasing each other around with sticks. Construction workers were drilling a few blocks down and birds were calling to each other from the tops of trees. Each sound added on to the last until I felt as if my head were about to explode from the sheer swell of noises entering through my ears.

I half-sat, half-collapsed onto the now-empty steps of our school. Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, and Syaoran had taken approximately three steps before they noticed the Sakura-sized hole in their ranks and turned around. I couldn't see their reactions as my head had once again buried itself into my arms and hands, but I'm sure they all wore looks of concern. For the record, I was pretty concerned too.

"Wha's wrong wi' me?" I whispered to the silent pavement.

"Well, for starters-" Kero was interrupted by a smack to the head from Mei-Lin. I gave him a weak smile though; he had just been trying to cheer me up. What I needed now wasn't cheer – I still had plenty of that, despite what it looked like – but silence. Sweet, steady silence. And that's when I had a Eureka moment.

"Got it!" I cried, ignoring the pain of my loud exclamation as I jumped up suddenly, knocking into Tomoyo's outstretched hand. Digging around in my bag, I drew out a Clow Card.

"Are you sure, Sakura? I mean, it might not be incredibly safe-"

"Tomoyo." I interrupted her, holding up the card to my face, "Las' thing I need 'smore words. Words, noise, _sound_! 'S all too much. Now, need Silence."

"Sakura, I really don't think-" But Syaoran's words came too late. Already a woman was rising from the card, an elegant woman with a high collar completely covering her mouth. She reminded me somewhat of a sheikh, what with her particular style of dress and the odd, winged-circle symbol on her chest and forehead. She was clothed in a cover-all dress of a muted purple color, and she wore a peculiar purple hat over her shock of straight hair. Her ears, like the ears of many of my human-esque cards, were pointed.

Silent, unlike many today, said not a word to me, but simply pressed two of her fingers to my temple. Just like that, all of the noises of the day slipped away and I was met with beautiful, lovely, relaxing silence. I could see the mouths of my friends moving, but no sounds were coming from them. No sounds were coming from anywhere. It was marvelous.

_Sakura!_ Mei-Lin was tugging on my arms, shaking her head no over and over as her mouth frantically worked its way up and back down again.

Giddily, I shook my head at her, pointing to my ear. _I can't hear you! _ I mouthed, grinning at the three of them. Mei-Lin now looked angry, Tomoyo worried, and Syaoran… Syaoran had a look that I couldn't quite place, though I decided to not let it bother me. After all, I had finally found outer peace. Why ruin it with inner worrying?

Waving goodbye to them over my shoulder, I headed off towards home. I was surprised when I found Kero missing from my bag, but I guess he was protesting my silence-initiative by staying with Tomoyo for the night. It wasn't the first time he'd slept away, and I told myself I'd be fine without him. Though, the irony of his silent protest struck me, and I had to grin to myself. Kero could be quiet poetic when he wanted to! Either that or he was just really idiotic.

As I couldn't hear if my friends were following me via their footsteps, I chanced a quick look over my shoulder. They were still standing there, discussing something in heated tones. I was probably the subject, but in my new-found serenity, I didn't care. I was seeing the world with new eyes. It was a place full of wonder and brilliance and color, things that were overshadowed by its normal noisiness.

I was so busy admiring my new view of the world, I didn't stop to take in the view of the road I was crossing to get home. I didn't see the truck until it was too late for me to move.

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**Oh snap, cliffhanger! What's going to happen? Spoiler alert: She doesn't die. That'd be a really crappy end to a story, wouldn't it? Yeah, but I should hopefully be getting the rest of this up soon! Wish me luck! Actually, wish me speed! XP**

**~Winged**


	22. Consequences of Sound, Part 2

**So, I know I said this would be quick. And I honestly thought it would be! But then all these plot bunnies decided to ambush me and this ended up being 6,000 words instead of the 2,000-3,000 I'd had planned. More for you, right? And another piece of good news: an ending for this finally came to me! There's plenty more chapters to go though, so don't worry about an ending coming up just quite yet. I just know what I'm going to do for the ending when it does come around! Also, a partial reason for my lateness was Driver's Ed. I had it last week, and it left me brain-dead. That class was boring!**

**But anyway, I'm sure you don't really want to hear excuses for my lateness or facts about my life. You just want to get on with the story, and you will, after a Disclaimer! (Cause we haven't had one in a while!) Enjoy in advance!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own CardCaptor Sakura and all related plots/characters/etc. I do own my plots and characters, so yay! MY PROPERTY! MINE!**

* * *

I didn't know I had used the card until I had enough time to find myself on the ground and process what had just happened. I didn't know I had been tackled to the ground until I found myself being crushed underneath the weight of a certain amber-eyed boy. And I didn't know said amber-eyed boy had been anywhere near me until he had jumped out of nowhere just before the truck would have slammed into my front. The truck that I hadn't sensed nor heard beforehand.

At first, I had thought being deaf would be wonderful, especially with all of the sounds the world had been throwing at me lately in high-volume. And it was wonderful, at least at first. But the sweetness soured pretty fast after I was almost run-over.

When I had reached the middle of the road, some instinct told me to turn my head to my right. What followed after I obliged were the longest five seconds of my life:

_That truck is headed straight at me. That truck is headed straight at me, I can't move my feet and get out of the way._

I was stuck, immobile, with a semi barreling towards me and my own ears unable to hear the scream building in my throat. I felt a warmth building in my center, stemming from my Clow Cards and the pocket of magic located deep inside me. It was a warmth I was sure would protect me from the truck and the noise, thought I knew not what Card would spring forth from it. Yet the warmth wasn't spreading fast enough, some part of my brain whispered. It wouldn't make it to the surface in time to protect me from the truck. By the time my magic could be released, it would be too late. I was always late, in everything from school to magic. I was always too late.

I remember feeling some semblance, in that split-second, of irony. _Isn't this funny?_ I would've thought, had I been graced with more time, _This whole time I thought the Puppetmaster would be my downfall, if I were to have one, but in reality it's my own tendency towards tardiness!_ If I'd had more time, maybe I would have laughed. Lately I had found myself becoming more and more jaded with the world; it was becoming increasingly harder to stay an optimist. Harder, but not impossible. Despite everything happening to me and those I cared about, that little voice kept telling me, _'Relax; don't worry. Everything will surely be alright!'_

And so after that split-second of irony, I felt another split-second of peace. I was accepting. Either that or some naïve little part of me thought that I would still walk out of this alive. Thankfully, the others were not accepting. Instead, they were agreeing with that naïve little part. If I could not survive on my own, by god they would _make_ me survive.

He barreled into me in the last second before the truck would have, knocking my breath out in a gasp as he flung my body down onto the sidewalk at the other side of the road. The truck passed through the spot recently abandoned by my body; I barely could see it over his body and through the bright impact-sparks lighting up behind my eyes. After that would-be final second, the glow inside me finally capped off. It expanded until everything was stopped but him and me, lying there on the hard sidewalk away from the stand-still truck.

As I blinked my eyes the impact-stars cleared, and I could see the image of an old, fine-featured man. He stood, blending into the glowing golden world around us. He was standing near the stilled truck, glancing between it and me with a look of relief upon his wrinkled face. He wore a robe of worn sand and his thin, spindly ears stretched far behind his long-haired head. In his hands he held an oversized hourglass, the top of which was tickled by his white-blonde beard. The orange-red grains of sand within it were stopped, with one single grain caught in the narrow neck between the top and the bottom.

As I gazed at the single grain, my mind bent back into focus and I realized the precise position I was in, beneath Syaoran's heavy body. A split second later (Though specific times were irrelevant now, weren't they?), Syaoran, too, realized it.

Later they would explain to me that, at first, they had thought I would see the truck headed towards me. It became apparent to them that I had not as I wasn't stopping. It was then that Syaoran's instincts had taken over and he had taken off. His quick reflexes, speed, and strength had saved my life, and I was and would be glad of it. However, his momentum had rushed me towards the ground, with him falling with me. For the moment I was being crushed, but I found to a mixture of my surprise, disgust, and some other, unidentified emotion that I didn't altogether mind the feeling.

Before the two of us gathered enough sense to move, Time opened his mouth. _'You are very lucky, Cardmistress, to have such good… friends.' _The way he paused at the word 'friends' was not unnoticed by me, but that may have been partially due to my temporary heightened sense of anything having to do with the status of the relationship between Syaoran and yours truly. I just prayed that it had gone unnoticed by said boy.

'_If he had been half a second later, both of you would have been crushed and I would have been unable to do anything. As it is, you will not be able to continue to harness my magic for much longer. My magic is a taxing one, and it would do you well to stop using me as soon as you are able. You have already been brought to safety by this young man, and I sense that you will need your magic in a few short minutes. With your permission, I will retreat.'_

"Um, sure? I guess?" I blame my ineloquence on the previous near-death experience and not the fact that I was breathing into Syaoran's neck.

I watched as the suspended grain of sand fell through the hourglass and the rest of its brethren began to trickle through the top section into the bottom. The world began again and Time disappeared with a small, thankful smile and four quiet words directed at Syaoran. _'Thank you, Little Wolf.'_ I was left with the tiniest ounce of extra weight in my pocket, and in my mind's eye I could picture the now-pink Time Card. Despite that tiny extra weight, my whole body felt weighed down far more than usual, and I was too sluggish and weak to even attempt to push Syaoran off of me. He was far too concerned with making sure the danger was gone to respect my right of privacy.

After the truck had passed (its driver had honked at me, though out of anger or relief I couldn't tell), Tomoyo and Mei-Lin rushed over to where Syaoran and I continued to lie, having been given no chanceto move with Time's arrival, departure, and side-affects.

"Sakura, ohmygosh, are you alright?" Tomoyo was hovering, as she always did when she was worried. Mei-Lin, on the other hand, was trying to cover up her shaking hands and quivering voice with jokes.

"I see you two are getting comfortable down there, eh?"

"Not the right time, Mei-Lin." Syaoran growled, his voice deeper than normal as he picked himself up and off of me. I noticed he was breathing deeply, and was surprised to find that he must have sprinted with all his might to reach me in time. The girls must have run as well, but they would not have been fast enough to reach me in time. They had probably reached the beginning of the road when the truck passed where I had been.

"I'm sorry, I just, you know…" Mei-Lin rubbed her hands together nervously, trying to convey a sense of worry she wasn't entirely sure what to do with. I had a feeling Mei-Lin didn't get nervous very often. I smiled up at her, and gestured her down to my level. Tomoyo joined her on the ground and together they proceeded to give me my second near-death experience of that day via their suffocating hugs. Syaoran remained the only one standing.

"What she means to say is we're glad you're all right." Kero popped his head up and out of Tomoyo's bag, his normally tough manner replaced with a gently fierce protectiveness.

"Hey guys, it's alright. I'm just a bit shaky, that's all. Thanks, Syaoran." I put all the meaning I could into my last two words, and I could swear that, to my ears, they sounded different. They _sounded different_…

"How can I hear you?" I bolted upright, leaping out of the Sakura-sandwich and popping up face-to-chest with Syaoran. "How can I hear any of you? And why isn't the volume super-charged anymore?" My eyes were wide as I rounded off to each of them in turn, pointing fingers and opening and closing my mouth.

"How can you…? Oh! You were in silent mode, weren't you!" Tomoyo got up, positioning her hands on her hips and frowning slightly at me. I shifted guiltily. "I'm still mad about that, I'll have you know, but now is not really the time for a lecture. And if Silent isn't with you anymore, then where'd she go?" Her question spurred all of us into action, dragging Mei-Lin up off the ground and getting all of us to swing our heads this way and that. Our eyes roved the now-empty streets for any sign of the purple-clothed lady.

Kero found her first, having used the advantage of his flight due to the fact that there was, oddly enough, practically no-one around. "She's over there!"

Following the direction of his finger, we saw Silent stoically facing… an orange jester?

The jester was cackling loudly, louder than any human being should have been able to. As we watched, she twisted something in her hand and the sound of her laughing intensified to the point of painful. I stumbled, hands covering my ears, as I moaned at the return of the super-sounded world. Beside me, I could see the others had finally been let into my hearing experience. Even Kero had fluttered down to rest on my shoulder, his sensitive ears quivering under his shaking paws.

As I was trying to retreat within myself to drown out the _sound Sound SOUND_, it suddenly lessened in volume. I opened my eyes to see Silent standing up straight as a rod, staring at the jester with such intensity that I wouldn't be surprised if two holes were to appear in the diagonally-striped orange and yellow she wore. The jester looked stunned for a moment, before she reclaimed her mischievous smile and her painted-orange cheeks again rose up in mirth. The two prongs of her hat shivered a bit with her laughter as they flowed down her back, getting tangled up in her mass of candy-orange hair. I was still unable to see what the jester held, but when her white-gloved hands turned whatever it was, the volume again went up. When Silent flinched, I felt my stomach drop and I fell to my knees. The cost was too much to hold myself up. I was running low, especially after having used such a taxing Card as Time. The pain in my stomach could hardly compare to my aching ears and pounding head.

I was curling in on myself when Silent retreated to come kneel beside me. With a touch feather-light, she conveyed to me all I needed to know.

"New plan guys." I ground out between clenched teeth as I transferred Silent's card to my pocket. "We're going for force." I pulled out my necklace, transforming it into my trusty staff and standing up on wobbly legs. The jester looked up at my words, surprised, before giving me another one of her smiles and turning coattails to jump up onto the nearest rooftop.

"That was Sound." Kero struggled to his feet, coming to rest on my shoulder. "She's mischievous, sure, but not mean! She's just a prankster!"

"And now she's just _getting away_!" I ground out, shaking the last remnants of super-charged sound from my ears. "We can't let her go; there's no telling what she'll do if she hits a large city! We'll figure something out along the way, c'mon!"

The pink glow could barely be called a light source, and changing the little pink bunny-creature Jump into a Sakura Card took nearly all my strength. Yet the sight of Sound bouncing farer and farer away from me helped me grit and bear the toll. Making it through the magic-loss wasn't enough, it seemed, for when I tried to get airborne my feet could barely leave the ground.

Desperate, I turned to Syaoran. "Please?"

"Of course." He answered, always the gentleman, as he grasped my hand in his. I tried to drown out the 'aw's from the peanut gallery as I gratefully received his green magic.

"Wait a second!" Tomoyo cried, and her urgency stopped me in the middle of preparation for a leap. "I have to get all of this on film!"

I nearly groaned when she dragged out her video camera, but I managed to keep it in as I leapt up onto the nearest roof, dragging Syaoran and Kero with me.

"I wanna come too!" Mei-Lin called from the ground, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Not the right time, Mei-Lin." Syaoran repeated his words of earlier, but I could see the tiniest of smiles working its way onto his face. My brain chose that precise moment to wonder what Syaoran would look like with a full-blown smile on his face, and what I could do to cause it. I could've slapped myself for thinking such things at such a time, but still…

"Sakura, go!" Kero whipped me back into action, tugging on my short locks as a jockey would tug on the reins of a horse. I leapt into action, so to speak, hopping from building to building. I kept my orange-clothed target in sight.

"We need a boost." Syaoran, without me knowing, had pulled out his sword and a light-yellow slip of paper with the hand not holding my own. I had to fight the urge to draw away from the sword, my left arm throbbing a deep, painful reminder. I was torn between wanting to pull my hand from his or grip it even tighter.

Shaking the feeling off, I asked the first question I thought of to distract myself from the sword. "You're left-handed?"

"Yes- What? Um, sort of? I'm ambidextrous." Syaoran was looking at me in surprise and confusion, I was sure, and Kero was probably shaking his head, but right now I was focused on the orange jester and not blushing. Not necessarily in that order.

_Create a distraction from your stupidity!_ My brain was shouting at me and shaking its head at my idiocy. "So, the boost?" I mumbled, almost tripping in mid-air. Luckily Syaoran, in response to my question, had pressed his sword to the slip, and a strong wind picked up and launched all three of us over to the next building. The next time I jumped, the wind blew us a couple buildings forward instead of just one. We were gaining on the jester.

_How is he able to keep this up? I mean, he's supporting me, using his own magic, __**and**__ exerting energy with all our jumping!_

_Well, you've done very similar things before._

_Yeah, but I'm the Cardmistress! I'm supposed to be strong and tough and stuff!_

_He's had training. He can control his magic better than you can._

…_I really need to get some training._

_Yes you do._

_I also need to thank him again. 'Cause he rescued me. Again._

_You owe that young man on several accounts now. Some of those accounts being your life._

_Yeah, I'm really glad to have Syaoran._

I decided to pause my conversation with myself right there. It was not the place, it was certainly not the time, and I didn't like where my mind was leading me.

_We __**will**__ continue this conversation later young lady, whether you like it or not._

I really needed to keep a tighter leash on my brain.

When I returned to reality, I realized that my body hadn't taken a vacation and had steered us right behind Sound. The roof of an old, abandoned hotel was coming up and we were nearing the edge of Tomoeda. It was the perfect spot.

Syaoran read what I was planning to do without me even opening my mouth and raised an eyebrow in question of my forming plan. For a split seconded, I marveled at our sync. Then my brain took the controls back from my heart and I gave a terse nod.

As I let go of his hand, I vaulted off of Syaoran's balanced knee and over Sound's head and came to a stop directly in front of her. Syaoran, forced down by the weight of my jump, had taken her back, and Kero had flown from my shoulder to hover above her. We had her trapped. Sound was flailing in-between us, looking for a way out as we shifted our positions to keep her in. I was flailing internally, trying to figure out what to do if she opened her mouth again. A bird flying overhead stole my attention, and as it opened its beak to cry it gave me an idea.

Sound's hands were nearing her little white twisty-object when I called out to her. "Hey Sound! How about a game?"

Her hands froze above her device, and she grinned, nodding. Then she tilted her head to the side, silently (oh, the irony) asking me to explain.

"It's a fun game. It's called 'The Best Voice.' Don't you want to play?" I saw Syaoran's eyes widen as I gave the name of the game, and Kero frantically waved his little arms up and down in warning. I smiled at them, trying to give them a sense of the confidence I was having trouble mustering.

"Now, the rules are as follows. First, each side chooses a contestant to play for them, and each side can help their contestant out. My friend and I are one side, and you're the other side. Okay?" Sound nodded eagerly, and gestured for me to go on. "Next, each side takes turns voicing a scale. Last, the winner is whoever can voice the widest range in their scale. Who do you choose as your contestant?"

Sound pointed to herself and smiled wildly, smugly.

"Alright, you choose yourself as your contestant. I choose… Song."

She appeared from a pink glow, one stronger than had appeared from Jump's transformation. From the pink glow came a beautiful, gentle, _fragile_-looking woman. As I stared at her, I began to wonder if I had really made the right voice. Maybe I should've chosen Voice, she'd probably be able to reach all sorts of notes…

Yet Song looked at me steadily, and I found myself believing in her. She was petite, sure, but so was I, and look what I was capable of! She was younger than some of the other cards, yet she didn't seem any less powerful. Bringing a hand up to her treble-cleft-adorned earpiece, she fiddled with it before moving her hand a few inches back to smooth her deep purple hair away from her pale face. After she had wiped both her hands on her white dress (although it seemed a nervous gesture, the way her dress was designed with music bars led me to the possibility of that wipe being a tune-up for her), she turned to me and gave me a smooth, firm nod. I nodded back at her, and turned to face the orange-lipped Sound.

"Are you ready?" I asked her, keeping my face blank of any nervousness or fear. She didn't say anything in response; she just kept bouncing on her toes.

"Sakura, are you sure about this?" Syaoran asked softly, "Can you really keep yourself up?" He was referring to my current low amount of magical energy and was subtly saying that there was a chance of my failure. Yet I didn't focus on anything but his concern for me. His gently, worrying tone. I think that might be when I first started to realize that, in regards to him, I was screwed.

"I'm fine. What I'm more worried about is if the noise we make will attract the cops, or any other people passing by here. I don't want a commotion, and I want this whole mess found out even less." I glanced around the run-down building we were perched on top of. The neighboring area was empty, but what about the areas beyond that? How many people would hear our battle of decibels? And how many of them would come investigate?

"We should be fine. This won't take long. It'll be painless." Kero's mouth was a grim line. He stared at that two Spirits facing off in front of him, his paws crossed as if he were determined. I could see how one paw picked at the arm it lay on, and I knew. Kero was nervous.

In a way, a wound-less battle would be worse than an all-out brawl. In this situation, you never knew what could come after the winner was declared. Would the loser retaliate, and turn it into an actual fight? Would there be subtle cheating, undetectable with the outlet of the battle? Would I collapse first?

I guess it all came down to that, didn't it? It was a battle of wills, and right now I wasn't sure mine was up to par with Sound's. Especially if she had her will under the control of who I think she had…

As if he could read my mind, I felt Syaoran funneling another channel of green energy through the air. It diffused into my skin, and I felt a smile grace my lips. Syaoran didn't just give me magic, he gave me _confidence_. Sometimes the latter was the more important of the two.

"You're first." I spoke directly to Sound, with a confidence that, for once, I truly felt. I could win this. No – I _would_ win this. The orange shoulders roll and fell in a gesture of indifference. Sound took the white object in her hand and held it out in front of her, concentrating on twisting her hand about it. At this distance I could finally tell what it was.

The white object was actually a knob, resembling very much an over timer. Except, instead of measuring and counting time, it measured and counted sound. I knew the higher she cranked that knob, the stronger Sound's voice would come out. Right now she was cranking it to the max. A prickle of worry wriggled its way through my armor of confidence and found its way to the traitorous section of my brain.

_Are you sure you can do this? Are you sure she won't cause you to end up deaf with the power of her voice? Are you sure you can win?_

I shut that part up quickly, before its pessimistic thinking could affect the rest of my body. There were no cracks allowed in my armor.

"Go ahead, Sound. Show me what you've got." But Sound wouldn't open her mouth. She shook her head, making a up and down motion with a loosely closed fist and curling one finger around a lock of her hair, making it hang down to the side of her face. Most of her face was serious, but her eyebrows were raised, waiting for me to guess what she was doing. Charades, oh boy. I wasn't very good at charades. She was Sound; couldn't she just tell me what the matter was? Or was she only able to laugh, make other basic noises, and distort the sounds of others?

"She means for there to be a judge." Kero stated, somehow able to understand the gestures of the Spirit. Maybe they were on the same wavelength, both being creatures of magic. Or maybe Kero was exceptionally good at charades.

"A judge? But, which one of us would be a fair judge? Wouldn't we all be biased towards ourselves or our team…?"

As I was struggling to think of a judge that Sound would approve of, Syaoran spoke up. "Sakura, do you still have _all_ the Cards that Clow was rumored to have befriended? You haven't lost any?"

"Of course not!" I retorted, offended at the idea that he thought I might have let my Cards be blown away from me, or something just as absurd. I mean, they almost had in the beginning, but that was before I knew how wonderful they all were! Now I would never let my them part from me, unless it was their wish. Before, his questions and concerns had seemed like caring to me. Now they seemed like he was looking down on my ability.

"Calm down. I just wanted to make sure you had all the Cards that we knew of. I don't know yet how able you are as a Cardmistress. I have to keep monitoring you." Just when I was thinking he was the sweetest, kindest, most considerate boy I knew, he went and threw a curveball like this at me. Was he really just 'monitoring' me? Was it all part of his job, his reason for coming to Tomoeda? To 'monitor' me, to find out if I was 'able?'

"…Can use Libra, since that card's all about balance. Libra would never be able to judge unfairly, it goes against what it- Sakura? Sakura, are you even listening to me?" When I turned my eyes back to Syaoran's, for a moment I could see a flash of annoyance in his eyes. I felt my own eyes narrow in anger before I processed the words he'd said.

When I was younger, I had gone through a pretty intense astrology period, studying all I could about the stars and, more importantly, the Zodiac. I knew that Libra's symbol was the scales, and that she represented equality and justice. She would make the perfect judge.

I guess Syaoran saw my eyes alight with the idea, so he asked another question. "Do you have enough power to transform her and assist Song?" Although he used the same tone of his earlier questions, again all I could hear was patronizing instead of care.

"Of course." I snapped, turning to face Song instead of him. From up above, I could see Kero raise an eyebrow, a frown forming on his golden face.

I pulled out the card with one hand, my staff coming down to tap it with my other. Almost instantly the card was turned cheery pink and from the card sprung a large, bronze scale. Libra.

"Excuse me, but are you just a scale or do you have a more human form?" This was a question I had been wondering about for a while in regard to some of my cards, and my curiosity overtook my growing anger.

In answer, the giant scale flickered out of sight and appeared again in a smaller form, clutched in two pale hands. The hands were attached to a black-haired woman. She wore her hair short and straight, and it fell in choppy streaks to the bottom of her chin. It was held out of her face with plain black pins that matched her plain black bodysuit. The bodysuit hid nothing, but I guess that was a factor of her 'nothing to hide, nothing hidden from, equality for all' outlook. Her only extravagance were the two bronze seals on her plain black slippers, into which was emblazoned the symbol of Libras everywhere, a double-handed sickle over a straight line.

"Alright, well. Can you act as a judge for this competition?" A nod. "Do you know the rules and regulations already?" Another nod. "Are you ready to begin judging?" A final nod, the scale lying balanced in her hands.

I turned to Sound now. "Does Libra meet your standards as a fair judge?" Sound, following in Libra's silent style, gave me a nod. She was all seriousness now that the game was finally beginning. "Alright then. You go first."

Sound clutched her knob in both hands, took a deep breath, and began her scale at a Middle C. And then she proceeded to drop all the way down to the lowest D I've ever heard. (I was able to identify the note, I think, thanks to Song and her musical prowess. She was transmitting the notes as Sound sung them into my head.) The sound was like the thunder rumbling in the night sky when a storm's coming over the horizon, ominous and deep and bone-shaking. She stopped when she reached the D, her voice giving out on her. Apparently that was the farthest her range could go. Until she opened her mouth again, giving me a wicked smile, and proceeded up the scale.

Her voice climbed higher and higher, never wavering, never breaking, until its tone was so far up the scale that my ears began to hurt. Still she went on. Kero, with the most sensitive hearing of us all, was on the ground, squirming under the pressure of the sound. Syaoran (my traitorous eyes had flicked over to him after I had seen Kero's state) had his hands over his ears, pressing into his skull, but he had his eyes open to meet mine. I looked away first.

Sound was continuing to go up, until she stopped abruptly at a high, high B. Her voice cracked when she tried to go higher than that, and she frowned at herself. Though she was Sound and embodied her name, her skill wasn't scales. Thankfully, she hadn't realized this until she attempted to do a scale. I didn't know how much longer she'd stay in the dark about the fact. I hastily gestured Song forward as a shadow of realization began to pass across Sound's face.

Song was brilliant. Her voice was brilliant. She copied Sound, note for note, on the down scale but, like Sound, was forced to stop at the lowest D. She frowned at herself, and then at me, and I realized my mistake. Song, though she had a beautiful voice, had to get her material from somewhere. She couldn't pull notes out of thin air. She had copied Sound's scale because she was literally copying the notes Sound had sung and was pouring them back out in her own voice. Without someone to sing a note higher than a B, we would never beat Sound. A stalemate would occur, and who knew what Sound would do to get out of it.

Sound's eyes alighted – it seems her brain had been on-par with mine in evaluating the situation – and gave me a smug smirk. She thought there was no way she could lose, and I was beginning to fear she was right. Still, Song pressed on, smoothing her dress with more hesitation than she had done at first. She was nervous. Could Clow Cards even feel nervousness?

_Yes, they can. They are more than just weapons. They are sentient, living, and my friends. Why would I even think such a thing?_

That odd, misplaced question was my first clue. Unfortunately, the pieces wouldn't click until later. And later would be too late.

Song started out slowly on the next scale, going from a Middle C up to a middle D, E, F…

Each note was hesitant, as if she knew there were only so many she could sing until she ran out of material. Each note was strong despite the odds, and I wore a proud smile. If we ended up at a stalemate, fine. I would figure something out. _Everything will surely be all right._

Song was beginning to reach her upper limit, her beautiful voice slowing down even more as she struggled to drag each note out. I was afraid that she would give up before the end, but no, she kept singing. As she drew closer to that final high B, another voice joined in, going above that B to a C, D, E! Song eagerly copied the melody as I turned my head to see Tomoyo climbing up the side of the building, her voice cracking as she reached her limit. Mei-Lin followed her. Tomoyo's face was flushed from running. To my amazement she had a thin band of sweat running down the side of her face from under her thick bangs. Tomoyo never sweat. Mei-Lin was out of breath as well, but she was in better fitness than Tomoyo and had not just hit a high E so her breathing was more even.

"Tomoyo…" I trailed off, wanting to thank her tremendously for her help yet at the same time scold her for coming into such a dangerous situation. I had a feeling she'd scold me right back, but I didn't need to continue my sentence. She understood me well enough to figure out what I was trying to say, and she waved it away with one delicate hand. It was then that I noticed the video camera in her other hand, its little red light blinking, and I shook my head in bemused amazement. She gave me a huge grin, and then turned to Song and smiled widely at her as well. Song smiled back, a smile of wonder and thanks. I knew at that point Song had fallen in love with Tomoyo's voice, and it probably wouldn't be the first time they would sing together.

The only warning I had as to the impact was the slight widening of both Mei-Lin's and Tomoyo's eyes and the opening of their mouths as if to scream a caution towards me.

Sound barreled into me from behind, knocking me to almost the edge of the roof as she screamed in my ear. What hurt more than being slammed into the concrete roof of the hotel was the blast of noise hitting my right ear. Having only one ear working messed up my balance and when I tried to fight Sound off I found myself throwing punches to her far right and stumbling as I tried to get up. Soon, however, Mei-Lin was throwing Sound off of me and Tomoyo was standing in front of me, half-guarding me and half-guiding me up. I leaned heavily on her; I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk on my own.

Still, I was coherent enough to spit out a confusing collection of crucial words. "Kero… The sword in the forest. _That_ sword-" I gestured at the sword Syaoran was guiding towards Sound. "And strings above. Cut them, not her! _Don't hurt her!_" I tried to scream the last words, but they came out disoriented and awkward. They got the message across, however odd they sounded. Mei-Lin refrained from punching Sound and Syaoran drew back his sword. Both stared at me as I slumped over, the anger and confusion in their eyes soon replaced by worry for me.

_Why was everyone always worrying about me?_

"Kero!" I croaked, feeling myself fading, fast. Tomoyo gently placed her camera on the edge of the roof so she could support my limp body with both hands.

"Syaoran!" Kero shouted, for once using his real name instead of 'kid,' "Aim above Sound's head! Cut above her! NOW!" For a little creature, Kero could have a very big voice when he needed to. Now was one of those occasions, and the power of his voice led Syaoran to follow, not question, his order. The swing was tight, precise, and calculated. It was a far cry from my own swing, ages ago in a cold winter forest, which had stopped my attacker through luck, not skill.

The swing had worked back then and it worked now, despite the differing circumstances. A collection of dimming purple strings fluttered down from seemingly nowhere, resting on the ground around a confused Sound.

"Don't touch them!" Kero ordered again, and Syaoran and Mei-Lin stepped back from the strings. With a quiet whisper that sounded like 'sorry,' I saw Sound disappear and felt a new Sakura Card make itself at home with my other Cards.

"He's repeating himself!" I slurred, smiling with dry lips. "Sloppy of him!" Tomoyo, unable to carry my weight any longer, gently led us both to the ground, my head in her lap. I blinked up at her, peaceful and relaxed, and she smiled down at me, always there, always steady. There was always Tomoyo, no matter what. As the strings disintegrated to harmless ashes, the edges of my world began to shrink and Kero, Syaoran, and Mei-Lin rushed over to me. There was always Tomoyo, and I heard a gentle voice whispering in my ear as the world vanished,

_And there always will be._

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__**Don't worry, no more cliffhangers for a while! (I think...) This nice, complete, long (!) chapter has a nice, complete, sappy ending! Yay, sappiness! But I really am quite proud of this chapter, especially its LENGTH! Accomplishment!**

**Also, look forward to a familiar face making a debut next chapter, which will be posted God-knows-when. (I've given up trying to let y'all know when something's going to be put up, because it'll just lead to disappointment on your part and guilt on mine.) As always, hope you enjoyed this!**

**~Winged**


	23. Under Pressure

**Y'all ready for my Longest Update Yet? WHOO! Sorry it took so long, but the ideas didn't come until recently, and then THEY ALL CAME AT ONCE! D: But I'm actually fairly proud of this chapter. It's a bit of a filler in the beginning, but then things pick up a bit towards the end. I even got to incorporate a tiny amount of my favorite type of writing in here: Crack. That's right ladies and gents, I may not seem the type (actually, I probably do...), but I love writing Crack. Guilty pleasure.**

**OH! Big important notice thing-y: Tomorrow I leave for China. I'm super excited, I know, and if any of you reading this live in China, then I hope you'll welcome me into your home country! However, I'll be gone for two-weeks, and that means definitively no updates. Hopefully I'll come back with a ton of inspiration and be able to crank out another chapter or two, but no definites. **

**No that all the talk is over, hope y'all enjoy this!**

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I walked into class Monday morning rested, refreshed, and expecting to see a certain blue-eyed, bespectacled boy standing outside my classroom. I continued to expect to see him until the moment Terada-sensei moved to the front of the classroom and announced that, unfortunately, our transfer student's flight had been delayed and he would not be arriving until tomorrow. The declaration of the student's gender sent the classroom into chaos. ("A boy!" "Aw man!" "Do you think he's cute?" "I wish it had been a foreign _girl_…") I was silent, wondering what had happened to the mysterious boy I had met outside Tomoyo's house.

"Do you think our transfer student is Eriol?" Tomoyo whispered into my right ear, leaning over to talk to me above the din in the classroom. I was about to respond that I hadn't heard her, could she repeat the question, when Mei-Lin butted in.

"Undoubtedly. But didn't we already have this conversation?" Her eyes were scanning the classroom for any signs of eavesdropping. I spotted Rika, Naoko, Chiharu, and Takashi talking among themselves at the front of the classroom and a pang of sadness ran through me. They didn't even bother to look back at me for Terada-sensei's big announcements anymore. They had moved on. I rolled my shoulders back, turning instead to Tomoyo and Mei-Lin. If they had moved on, well, so would I!

"I wonder what's holding him back. Wasn't he already in Japan?" Syaoran's voice was quiet and I had to strain to hear it. I smiled slightly to myself; no more super-charged, painful hearing for this girl. Tomoyo and Mei-Lin misinterpreted the smile, raising their eyebrows at me suggestively. I blushed, not helping my case in the slightest.

"Yeah, Sakura and Kero saw him outside of Tomoyo's just last week." Mei-Lin cried. "So then why the heck is sensei saying that his flight is delayed? He doesn't need a flight if he's already here! And he certainly didn't seem like he had a reason to be delayed!" Mei-Lin voiced our collective thoughts. Eriol was up to something, and we had no clue as to what. He had seemed genuinely interested in helping me, but I wasn't always the best at spotting a liar. Had he been telling the truth?

"Class! Class, if you could settle down please!" Terada-sensei raised his voice over that of our class, struggling the tiniest bit to be heard. Immediately the class quieted down. "It's time to begin our lesson."

"We'll continue this conversation at lunch." Mei-Lin hissed before leaning back to her own seat. I took out my pencil and lay down my notebook, ready to take notes.

Instead, I spent the entire class period drawing marionettes and spectacles and little Kero-wings on my supposed-to-be notes and wondering whose side, exactly, Eriol was on. By the time lunch rolled around, I had various theories as to why he was late in arriving but no clue as to the math formulas we had been taking notes on.

We had just begun to discuss those theories and digging into our meals (I was explaining some of my more logical explanations for Eriol's late arrival), when out of the corner of my eye I saw something solid and white headed towards the back of Tomoyo's head.

I shifted what I was saying mid-word. "…And so I thi- Look out!" I was onto and over the table before I even realized what I was doing. A second later something solid was smacking painfully into my palm. Wincing, I pulled my hand back, object securely in it. I preferred whatever it was to be hitting my palm rather than the back of Tomoyo's head. The object, under further inspection, turned out to be a rock wrapped in a sheet of white paper. Someone had scribbled a message in blue ink on the paper. It was headed 'Sakura' signed 'Eriol.'

"Damn girl, you've got some good reflexes!" Mei-Lin whistled appreciatively. I rolled my eyes at her making-light of the situation, but was glad of it all the same.

"Thanks." Tomoyo whispered softly, having not moved from her former position since I had leapt onto the table. "But um, Sakura? You might want to get down now."

Blushing, I realized I was still perched precariously in the middle of our lunches. People were beginning to stare. With a cheesy smile and a little wave, I climbed down back into my seat next to Mei-Lin. The other students went back to their conversations and lunches, smiling and shaking their heads at my eccentric behaviors.

"Whoever threw that, I don't think they meant for Tomoyo to get hit. I think they expected you to catch that." Syaoran said softly, making sure nobody at the surrounding tables heard us.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, itching to read the letter but waiting until Tomoyo was steady to do so.

"They threw it lightly; light enough that, in the rare circumstance that it was to hit Tomoyo, it wouldn't leave any heavy damage. I want to know is who would take such a risk."

"Eriol." I stated, bringing the letter out and smoothing it down on the table for everyone to see. I had judged Tomoyo recovered enough; she was taking small bites of her noodle dish and smoothing down her hair in a gesture I recognized as her ignoring her fear.

"What? But he was supposed to be wrapped up in something or other, thus his absence today!" Mei-Lin screeched, lowering her voice when we all sent her meaningful, shushing glares. "Sorry. But why would he want to throw something at Tomoyo's head?"

"We already know that Eriol's in Japan." I stated, referring back to the time I had met him outside of Tomoyo's. "As to why he's throwing paper-wrapped stones, I think he's getting our attention and sending us a message in his own, weird way."

"His own _sadistic_ way." Syaoran grunted, his arms crossed and his brows pulled together under his mop of thick brown hair. When I glared at him he huffed. "I don't trust that guy, and rightly so! He just threw a rock at Tomoyo's head."

"Let's just read the message." I sighed. Syaoran could get as stubborn as me, I was learning.

From beside me I watched Mei-Lin raise her eyebrows at Tomoyo, who smiled slightly. I pressed my head into my hand. "Can you guys at least be _subtle_ when you're sitting right next to and across from me?"

"So she doesn't deny anything!" Mei-Lin shouted triumphantly, again causing us to glare at her until her voice was lowered.

"We will discuss this in private, as requested, okay Tomoyo?" Tomoyo's amethyst eyes sparkled as she nodded in agreement to Mei-Lin's suggestion. The devil matchmakers were back.

"Just, the letter." I stuck my letter-holding hand out, keeping my other hand firmly planted over my reddening face.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Tomoyo laughed her trademark giggle as she took the letter out of my hand. I quickly retracted the hand and used it to cover the other half of my face. Her laugh quickly subsided as she read the letter, a still-frowning Syaoran reading over her shoulder. Mei-Lin and I sat patiently on the other side of the bench, waiting for our turn.

"Hurry up, guys! I wanna see it too!" Mei-Lin called, trying to stretch her neck to read the upside-down text.

"Yeah! I was the one who caught it anyways!" I copied Mei-Lin, trying to glimpse more blue-inked words.

Okay, maybe we were sitting not so patiently.

Eventually, Tomoyo handed over the letter, her brows – like Syaoran's – knit together in thinking. Mei-Lin and I started reading, each of us holding one side of the letter. Kero stuck his head out of my bag to get a piece of the action. (He had been quiet thus far as he had been busy stuffing his face with the little lunch and pudding I had packed for him. Now that he was done, he felt it necessary for him to get with what was happening.) The letter read as follows:

_Sakura (And Company),_

_Nice catch! I am sure you made it. You did seem to have wonderful reflexes when we first met. How are you, my lovely little cherry blossom? Well? Good! I am doing well also, in case you were wondering. _

_I'm sure you are all wondering why I couldn't make it to school today. The truth is I was busy familiarizing myself with the Tomoeda area and the maleficent presence currently infecting it. I believe you have fought against it before? Unfortunately, the one you fought, your 'Puppetmaster,' is but a shadow of his true self, much like your Guardian Keroberos. He has been merely toying with you, despite how intense that toying may have seemed. When he does decide to become truly serious, you will need to be ready. That is where I can help._

_Meet me tonight as the sun is setting near the gates of your 'Penguin Park.' We will talk about your training then._

_Love and Best Wishes,_

_Eriol_

The letter was polite and charming, but underneath the fancy words and courteous manner laid a dark truth: I was not yet strong enough to take on the Puppetmaster and everything he had done to us up until now had merely been play for him.

Fortunately, it looked like Eriol would be able to train me, something that I sorely needed more of. Kero was an adept trainer but he could only do so much in his current state, and Kero and I still had no idea how to release his true form. Maybe Eriol would know…

"I could train you, you know." I was brought back from my musings by Syaoran's gentle voice. "If you needed another trainer. I could teach you swordplay, and possibly a bit of magic." When Mei-Lin and Tomoyo's eyebrows began to skyrocket, he quickly added another sentence to his statement. "As a _friend_, of course."

"Of course!" I responded, glaring at the two scheming girls even with my false-cheery voice. "That's what _friends_ do for each other!" After the girls got the message, rolling their eyes at us and making hand gestures that I assumed meant that we were hopeless, I added on another sentence of my own. "I really would appreciate, actually. Up 'til now I've been working mostly in-the-dark about this stuff. Kero's been very helpful," My little Guardian Beast puffed up, "But another opinion would always be welcome. So, thanks." The silence stretched for a good half a minute, becoming increasingly awkward as each second passed. Finally, Tomoyo tactfully thought to break the silence.

"Are you going to the Park tonight?"

"Yes." As soon as I had read Eriol's invitation, I knew I would be going. As I stated earlier, I needed all the help I could get. If Eriol was offering, I would accept.

"I don't think that's really such a great idea…" Syaoran was adamant in his belief that Eriol was No Good.

"For once, I agree with the Kid." Syaoran scowled at Kero's nickname, but acknowledged the little creature's agreement with him.

"Let her go! Besides, we'll totally be there with her. From this point forward, we should make a pact; no one goes anywhere by themselves, ever. Unless it's, you know, the bathroom or something. But no-one goes anywhere major or where there could be danger by themselves! Especially you, Sakura. Deal?" Mei-Lin stacked her hand in the middle of the table, waiting for the others to put their hands.

Smiling, Tomoyo added her hand to the mix. "You know if we're all going together I have a great idea for what we could all wear..." My favorite fashionista trailed off, already prepping outfit choices in her mind.

"Tomoyo, I thought we were over this phrase! That was just sixth grade and earlier, remember? We made a deal." I groaned, but I added my hand to the pile. Some way or another, Tomoyo would continue to dress me up for the rest of my life. She'll probably end up designing my wedding dress.

"I would've _loved_ to see what she had you wearing when you were eleven! You must've been so cute, right Syaoran? And are you putting your hand in or not? Jeez, you're so slow!" Mei-Lin grabbed Syaoran's hand, forcing it down on top of mine. If he wasn't embarrassed over the seeing-me-as-a-cute-little-eleven-year-old bit, then he must've been by the hand grab. Except, being Syaoran, he didn't show any emotion as weak as embarrassment as he huffed a 'fine' under his breath.

"It's agreed then!" Kero stated, fluttering up and out of the bag to place his hand on top. (Kero had to be the first, or the winner, or the one at the top in every situation.)

"Kero, what are you doing?" I hissed, trying to grab Kero and stuff him back into my bag. "Someone could see you!"

"Relax, Sakura!" Kero patted my hand, or the part of it that was sticking out from under Syaoran's. "No one can see me through the wall that is Tomoyo and Syaoran. I'm perfectly safe."

"Just get back in the bag. Please?" I sighed, running my free hand through my hair and over my face. Frowning, I pinched a strand of hair between my fingers. "I need a cut." I mused to myself. "It's getting a bit shaggy."

"We'll take you out tomorrow, then!" Mei-Lin cried, removing her hand from the bottom and thus collapsing the whole pile. "Tonight, however, we'll rendezvous at Penguin Park – I'll show you where it is Syaoran, don't worry – and the rest of us will finally get to meet this elusive 'Eriol' character."

As we finished making plans the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. With a resigned sigh, I followed the mass of high school students back into our classrooms, itching to get out of school and to the Park.

* * *

The sun didn't set fast enough, in my opinion.

I had been sitting at the kitchen counter for the past twenty minutes, staring at the unchanging sky and daydreaming about tonight. Since I had gotten home, I had done nothing else but stare at the heavens, think, and change out of my school uniform. Kero and I had the house to ourselves, as both Touya and 'Tou-san were at the college.

"Hey, Sakura! C'mon, what are you staring at? We could be eating pudding, or training, or discussing tactics, or eating pudding!" Kero was hovering everywhere, glad of the freedom he had gained with my father and brother's absence. He was also glad of the puddings currently residing in our fridge, and eager to sample them.

"I'm waiting for sunset." I replied softly, keeping my eyes on the sky.

"Sunset's not for another forty-five minutes, at least. C'mon, let's do something fun!" Sweeping down, Kero flew past my face, displacing a few strands of my lengthening hair as he did so.

"Hey, watch it!" I brushed the hair back in place, huffing as it got in my eyes. I really needed a haircut. "Besides, how would you know when the Sun sets? It could set in another ten minutes, for all we know!"

Kero rolled his eyes as my wishful thinking. "First of all, I can tell the Sun's not gonna set anytime soon 'cause the sky's still its normal blue! Second of all, I'm a _Sun_ Beast. I know stuff about the Sun!" Kero raised his little head, crossing his arms and settling into a smug expression.

"Of course you're a Sun Beast. That's why you look like a plush doll." I mumbled under my breath, turning my eyes back to the sky. Did I really have to wait almost an hour to figure out what the deal was with Eriol? That was such a long time for an impatient person like me!

"You don't have to put it like that…" Kero trailed off, apparently having been able to hear me with his sensitive ears. "You know what? If you're so impatient, how about we just head on over to the park right now?"

"Really!" I perked up immediately at Kero's suggestion, all traces of guilt due to my earlier rude statement disappearing. A second thought caused me to hesitate. "What about the promise we made at lunch? The one that stated none of us are allowed to go anywhere by ourselves?"

"You won't be by yourself; you'll be with me!" Kero bumped his chest in what I guess he thought was a manly move, but it looked ridiculous taken with his small size. When he saw the skepticism on my face, he scowled. "Sure, I may not be my true size or form, but I can still pack a punch. I've got muscles!" Kero flexed said tiny muscles. "I've got teeth!" He bared his teeth in a skeleton's smile, not very intimidating in my opinion. "I've got wings, for God's sake!" He fluttered his small wings. "I can protect you."

"I can protect myself, thanks." I stated dryly. At Kero's falling face, I quickly added, "But I'm always thankful of someone to watch my back and keep me company."

"Then let's head out!" Kero cheered up again. His mood swings were worse than mine!

"Let me just grab my rollerblades." I stated, running to the front door to retrieve my red and yellow blades. My key necklace hung around my neck and my cards rested snugly in the pocket of my sweats. Once my rollerblades were strapped on, I pulled a hoodie over my head. Today I was comfort over fashion, though Tomoyo would wince to see my casual state. That reminded me, wasn't Tomoyo talking about dressing us all up for this? There was no way she could crank out four outfits (five, if you counted the little bows and such she made for Kero) in such a short amount of time and then safely transport them to the park. I was safe in my sweats.

Shivering a little in the cooling evening air, Kero and I set out. The former was perched on my left shoulder to 'save wing strength.' (In reality, he was the laziest creature on the planet.) My rollerblades carried me over the sidewalk and towards the park as fast as I could make them. My speed was partially due to anticipation and excitement; I wanted to find out what would await me in the park. I wanted to see Eriol again, and introduce him to the others (but especially Syaoran) as an alley and a friend. The speed was also due to my love of going fast. The feeling of the wind streaming through my short brown hair was addicting, and I yearned to feel it whenever I could. It was the reason I rollerbladed practically everywhere instead of walking. (Another reason for my rollerblades was my constant lateness; if I didn't have my them I'd be late to nearly everything!)

Fifteen minutes later I reached the Park. The Sun had barely begun to dip below the tree line, casting long shadows everywhere. I still felt safe with the Sun shining down however, an odd fact considering all the times the Puppetmaster had attacked in daylight. Things just seemed worse at night, when the darkness covered all and sounds and colors were muted. Things stood out more at night, whether they were bad or good.

"So now what?" Kero spoke directly into my left ear, and I swiped at him and the loud sound.

"Shush; that's my ear you're talking directly into!" I growled, frustrated when Kero merely jumped from my shoulder to my head, perching like an awkward orange bird-beast.

"Wait, was I really that loud? Oh no, Sound's not bothering you again, is she?" Kero peered down at my eyes by bending over my head, holding himself steady with clumps of my hair.

"No, Sound's not bothering me, but you are!" Frowning at Kero, I picked him up and placed him back on my shoulder. My right shoulder.

I hadn't told anyone, but I was still having trouble hearing out of my right ear. The blast Sound had given it earlier hadn't fully faded yet, and though my balance was back to pretty much normal, I still found myself stumbling occasionally. I also had to ask people to repeat their sentences often, as only one ear could truly pick up what they were saying. It was annoying, but I was sure it would fade eventually. If it didn't, well, that's what doctors were for, right?

"Now what?" Kero repeated, this time taking care to not speak directly into my ear. Not that it would have made a difference; I heard his words mainly through my opposite ear.

"Now I guess we wait." I stated, rolling over to a bench and plopping myself and Kero down onto it.

"More waiting? Couldn't we have done this back at your house? You know, where it's _heated_." Kero complained.

"You've got a fur coat, you can't complain." I shushed him, but I was beginning to feel a bit cold myself. If nothing interesting happened soon, maybe I'd call out Temperature, or possibly Firey, and ask them politely for some heat.

"My fur coat's thin." Kero rebutted. "I'm gonna just wiggle into your sweatshirt, if you don't mind…" Kero gave me no time to say if I did mind; he was peeking his head out of my sweater's head-hole before I could say 'stop.'

"Mm, much better." He gave a contented sigh, snuggling up under my neck. Rolling my eyes at his actions, I did have to admit that Kero gave off much-needed body heat. He was like having my own, personal heated water-bottle. We stayed like that for a while, waiting for something to happen, when I heard branches snapping at the entrance of the Park.

In a couple of seconds I was up off the bench and standing, feet firmly planted, with my staff fully released out in front of me and a hand reaching into my pocket for my Cards. Kero was out of my sweatshirt and hovering by my head.

"Sakura? Sakura, is that you?" The familiar voice sounded from around a corner, and two seconds later I recognized the head of dark, purple-black hair as it moved into view.

"Tomoyo! You're early." I smiled at her, lowering my staff and moving my hand out of my pocket. Kero floated back down into my sweatshirt and waved at her once he was securely positioned under my neck.

"And yet you're here as well, ahead of me." She raised a slim eyebrow. "What about not going anywhere alone?"

"I had Kero. Besides, you came here alone." I retorted.

"I drove here. There's not much that can hurt me when I'm in my van. In addition, I'm not as much of a target as you are." Tomoyo stated calmly.

"That's not true…" I trailed off, remembering a time not so very long ago in a hospital when the Puppetmaster had hurt those I cared for to hurt me. From the way Tomoyo's eyes widened and her hand fled to her throat, I could tell she was remembering as well.

"Anyway," I began again, desperate to get the images out of my mind, "Nothing much happened. Basically Kero and I have sat here, slowly freezing to death."

"And no wonder! Just look at what you're wearing! Ugh, so tacky and formless. Good thing I thought to stock the Van!" Tomoyo was cheery again, back in her familiar, much-loved territory of apparel. She had brought the Van with her, a car from our childhood filled with all sorts of fancy clothes and dresses and _frills_. I had heard her mention driving it over here earlier, but I hadn't associated her van with The Van. I was so screwed.

Before I could make a getaway, Tomoyo's hand was clasped firmly around my arm like an iron shackle. She dragged me back to the entrance of the Park, tutting to herself all the way back about the 'atrocity' I was currently clothed in.

"Just, no frills, okay? And no lace? And it has to be warm." I requested weakly, previous experiences telling me it was futile to struggle. When Tomoyo got into this mode, there was no stopping her.

"What's going on?" Kero had not yet received the Tomoyo treatment, a miracle considering how long he'd been with me and how many opportunities Tomoyo could have taken advantage of.

"Oh, just getting you and Sakura into some warmer clothes!" Tomoyo trilled.

"Thank God. I'm freezing my tail off here!" Kero cried, and I frantically tried to convey to him with my eyes what he was in for. He wasn't paying attention to me, instead focusing on Tomoyo and her description of the warm clothes we would be getting. Tomoyo, herself, was dressed in a lavender faux-parka with a same colored bow holding back her hair and dark black jeggings leading into furry white boots. She was immaculate, as always. Soon I would be receiving the same immaculate-treatment, multiplied by tenfold.

As we approached the entrance to the park, we ran (literally) into Syaoran and Mei-Lin. They had apparently thought it best to get to the park early. Ironically, they had been the last ones to arrive.

"Hey, where are you two going in such a hurry?" Mei-Lin asked, staring at my wide, frightened eyes and Tomoyo's unnaturally sparkling ones. I took half a second from my outfit-induced panic to inwardly smile at how Mei-Lin totally ignored the fact that we were already at the park and wondered instead where we were hustling towards.

Tomoyo was struck by inspiration. "Do you two want warmer clothes as well?" I frantically signaled to Mei-Lin, knowing better than to make a sound and alert Tomoyo, but the Chinese girl ignored my warnings.

"Warmer clothes would be great! We didn't realize it would be so cold out. Syaoran, how about it?" Syaoran, too, ignored my warnings and nodded in agreement. Their breath puffed out in little clouds of sparkling frost.

I smacked my palm to my forehead. "We're all doomed." Not two seconds later, Tomoyo's foot was stomping down hard on my own; all the while she was smiling at Mei-Lin and Syaoran who were staring wide eyed at our exchange. As I grimaced and limped, she led more flies into her spider's trap.

"Follow me! I have all the coats and things in my van." Only I knew the truth behind her wide smile, her friendly gesture. But I could not save myself, and the others were too stupid to be rescued.

The closer we got to the Van, the more I began to struggle. "Tomoyo, hey, I'm actually all warm now! Look at that, we can go, can't we? I mean, what if we were to miss Eriol or something because we were, um, getting dressed…" I trailed off when I met Tomoyo's over-bright eyes.

"Silly Sakura, safety first!" Her voice had morphed into its sickly sweet state, which is how I knew she was serious. I think Mei-Lin, Syaoran, and Kero were beginning to pick up on Tomoyo's change and my discomfort, but they still followed her into the Van like rats following the Pied Piper.

Once we were all securely inside, Tomoyo locked the door and turned on the lights. I was met with a multitude of outfits, over half of which were from my childhood and the rest of which I'm sure would fit me perfectly. I let out a whimper.

"Sakura, did you dress up in all of these little ones…?" Mei-Lin was in awe, which was the totally wrong emotion to be having right now. She should be fearful, quivering in a corner as far away from the dresses as she could get! That's what I would be doing right now, except Tomoyo still had me firmly by the arm and the glare she sent me kept me from fleeing by using my Cards and Staff.

"I have pictures and video tapes of it! She was so precious back then. Not that you're not precious now Sakura, but the things I could get you in…" Tomoyo replied, fondly thinking back to a time when I was Sakura, the life-sized Barbie doll. My own memories were not so fond, though I did have to admit that I had some fun dressing up. I really didn't need this now, though; not with Eriol's meeting coming up soon.

"Sisters." Syaoran let out a half-choked sound, inching back from the dresses in fear and turning all our heads towards him. _He_ was displaying the right emotion, unlike Kero and Mei-Lin, who were ogling the sheer amount of outfits.

"Oh, right. Guys, this sight is probably pretty traumatic for poor Syaoran over here. He grew up with four older sisters. They used to use him for dress-up." Mei-Lin snickered as Syaoran blushed – actually blushed! (I had to admit, it was an adorable sight) – and frowned at his blabbermouth cousin.

"Don't talk about it." He muttered, turning away from the dresses and skirts and frills.

"You understand my pain!" I cried out dramatically, before Tomoyo once again stomped my foot.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Polite as ever, even while in she-devil mode. That was Tomoyo.

"Do it quickly." I sighed, knowing that if I didn't agree many more painful foot-stomps were in my future.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Tomoyo let out her victory chortle, dragging me over to the small dressing room and shoving me in. Kero flew out of my sweatshirt and settled on a rack of clothes, staring at Tomoyo in confusion as she whirl-winded around the Van, grabbing various pants and coats and shirts and accessories. I watched her through a crack in the dressing room's door, my dread increasing with each item she added to her pile. Mei-Lin watched her movements with open admiration while Syaoran tried very hard not to look at any of the outfits.

Finally, Tomoyo was done collecting clothes. She laid her options out on the floor in front of her. I watched her ponder over the outfit options for a while before leaning back against the Van wall to accept my fate.

_If I were to escape now with Through, would she drag me back here and watch me like a hawk the whole time she forced clothes on me?_

Something was shoved over the wall of my dressing room. Hesitantly approaching it, I picked up the first item with wary hands. It was a frilly pink skirt. Back over the wall it went.

"C'mon, Sakura! You'd look so cute!" Tomoyo squealed.

"Nope. I wouldn't be looking cute for long when they had to amputate my frost-bitten legs. No skirts. Pants only." I yelled my demands at Tomoyo over the wall and heard snickering from our audience.

"Fine. But you have to wear the shirt." I picked up the item of clothing in question. It was a tank top. I chucked that over the top of the dressing room too.

"Tomoyo! You told me you'd get me some warmer clothes! Tanks tops are for Summer, not when the weather makes it possible to see your own breath!" More snickering. I turned to the last article of clothing. It was a faux-parka similar to Tomoyo's in a gentle pink shade. This I actually liked.

A couple seconds later Tomoyo tossed a raspberry turtleneck and stylish-yet-baggy black pants over the top. "Better?"

"Much!" I replied, happily changing into the warmer clothes. I tucked my key necklace under my two layers and stepped out of the changing room.

Tomoyo sighed. "I wish I could've gotten a bit of lace on you…"

"Nope, this is perfect!" I quickly butted in, trying to cut off her train of thought before it could reach dangerous stations.

"Oh, I know!" Tomoyo cried, running to her Mt. Shoe and digging into its side, causing a mini-avalanche. I groaned; I was too late with my comment. "You can wear these!" She tossed me a pair of black boots with pink lace designs running all over its top. Knowing that this was an item that Tomoyo would not compromise on, I pulled on the boots. With a satisfactory nod, Tomoyo let me know I was complete.

"Kero, you're next!" As Tomoyo began to fuss over her other three models clothes candidates, I quietly snuck out of the Van and into the cold air. The frosty temperatures couldn't touch me inside my jacket, and I smiled at the orange sky.

With sudden realization, I noticed what I was staring at. A sunset! Eriol was due anytime now, and as I decided to head further into the park he suddenly stepped out of the Penguin Park gates.

"Hello, Sakura! On time, I see. Good!" His manner was clipped, precise, and polite. Despite that, he still managed to carry a certain charm and warmth.

"Where'd you-" I began, only to be cut off as Eriol answered my half-asked question.

"I came from the park, of course! I entered from the other side." To my knowledge, there was no other main entrance to the Park. Had he somehow jumped the fence?

Kero chose that moment to burst out the doors. "Sakura, I managed to escape before- Oh. The Creep showed up." Kero glared at Eriol, but the latter brushed off the nickname with an easy smile.

"Hello again, Keroberos." Eriol courteously greeted the bow-tied creature hovering beside me. With a small portion of my mind, I noted the fact that Kero's sloppy bow-tie was the same color as my turtleneck. That Tomoyo…

"Why are you here. What do you want." Kero stated his questions, making them seem like demands rather than inquiries.

"I'm here to help you; that's all I want." Eriol did not seem to be put off by Kero's demands. His manner was still that of a perfect gentleman. Was it just a front?

"You said you could train me. How?" I asked, tilting my head to the side as if the different angle would allow me to read Eriol's true motives.

"Like this." It came without warning. One moment Kero and I were facing Eriol, standing on solid ground by the Van. The next moment we were dropping with the Van into the ground, Eriol smiling cheerfully down at us. Shouting and clattering came from inside the Van, but I was fixated on Eriol's face. "This is where your teaching begins. You have about ten minutes until the five of you use up all the oxygen, so I'd advise escaping before then. One small hint, as this is your first lesson: Remember what you are standing on. Good luck!" Eriol's face and voice were covered as the rock rose to form a ceiling over us. I was left in the dark, wondering if placing my trust in Eriol had been the right decision.

"Damn that Creep!" Kero shouted, flying up to the rocky ceiling and pounding it with his small fists. "Let us out!"

"Kero, stop shouting. You're using up oxygen." I stated, trying to stay calm even as the walls seemed to press in on me from all sides.

The Van door opened with a bang, the light spilling out from it illuminating our cavern. Syaoran leapt out, sword at the ready, followed by a newly-outfitted Mei-Lin and Tomoyo. "What the hell happened?" He asked, searching jerkily for any sign of the Puppetmaster or some purple-threaded Spirit.

"Oh my God. We caved in? How the heck did that even happen, anyway? We were on asphalt! Asphalt doesn't just collapse in on itself to reveal some huge cavern underneath it! The construction people would have noticed, or-"

I cut Mei-Lin off with a semi-loud, drawn-out 'shh.' At her confused look, I replied, "We need to conserve oxygen. He told us we have about ten minutes to get out of here, and I don't want to shorten that time any."

"He? The Puppetmaster?" Tomoyo asked hesitantly, joining in Syaoran's searching of our closed-off cave.

"The Creep." Kero responded, growling as he finally gave up hitting the rock ceiling and drifted down to land on my shoulder.

"Eriol." I clarified. "Don't say anything." I shot Syaoran a look as he began to open his mouth. I really didn't need an I-told-you-so right now. I needed a way out.

"How about Through?" Tomoyo suggested quietly, seeming to read my mind.

"Good idea." I brought out my key and with a soft golden-pink glow transformed it into my star-headed staff. Shoving a hand into my pocket, I drew out exactly the card I was looking for: Through.

She appeared with her double loops and her trailing sleeves, ready to help. I didn't need to speak a single word as she stepped towards me, taking my hand and lending me her power. She then stepped to the others in the room, lending her power to all my companions and, at Tomoyo's request, the clothing Van. After she finished with the Van, she returned to being a Card in my pocket.

"How are we going to get out? We dropped, right? We'll have to go up." Mei-Lin was skeptical, but her words triggered in me a memory of a terrible prank. Meeting my eyes, I saw in the thin light streaming from the Van that Kero was remembering along with me. He nodded once, tersely, and I drew out another card from my pocket.

"We'll get out using an old combo; a successful one, but one used previously in the wrong way." I responded, gritting my teeth as bad memories filled my mouth with bitter tastes.

When I tapped the card Float appeared, gently bouncing up and down with its large pink and magenta striped balloon. The small winged basket underneath it swung lazily back and forth.

"Float, please." I asked, and it responded by providing me with the curious sensation of rising without anything lifting me as it disappeared back to my pocket. Around the room, I saw my companions floating as well. Even Tomoyo's Van was slowly inching up off the ground.

Flashes of memory ran behind my eyes. Ghost. Tears. Laughter. Threads. Slap.

Blinking hard, I forced the memory out and continued my steady ascent towards the ceiling. Kero hovered beside me, using his wings to fly instead of Float's power.

"It's okay." He whispered into my good ear – my left one – as he stayed next to me, providing support. "It wasn't out fault."

"Sure feels like it was." I muttered back, nearing the ceiling.

"Well, it wasn't."

I was opening my mouth to retort when my head bumped the ceiling. Frowning, I withdrew Through. "Why aren't you working?" I felt another pulse run up my spine as Through renewed her magic, and I tried once more to rise beyond the stony ceiling. Once more my head hit up against solid rock. Around the room, I heard various grunts and complaints of pain as my companions hit their heads as well. What was wrong?

It was then that I noticed the faint etching on the rocks. "Hey Kero, can you see this?" He flew over, staring hard at the darker lines of shadow carved into the rock.

"No, I need more light." He responded, squinting at the lines.

"Alright, I'll see if Syaoran can-" I cut myself off when Kero let out a little hovering fireball from his mouth. I was stunned. "How long could you do that? You never told me!"

"I didn't know I could do this!" Kero protested against, his eyes as wide as mine.

"Wait, so now Kero can breathe fire? I though he was a supposed to be a bear-thing, not a dragon-thing!" Mei-Lin called from across the cavern. Apparently the others had noticed Kero's little magic trick.

"I'm not a bear-thing, Brat! I'm a Sun Lion!" Kero growled, puffing out another little fireball to highlight his statement. Mei-Lin flipped her long, loose hair back as if to brush aside his somewhat-insulting nick-name.

"You're not currently a Sun Lion." Syaoran pointed out, causing Kero to frown at him and mutter 'stupid Kid.'

_I wonder why Kero's able to breathe out little fireballs, and when this ability manifested._

"_The fire is due to Kero's affiliation with The Firey. He has probably been able to do this since you transformed Firey into a Sakura Card." _Voice's gentle tone echoed throughout the cave, her voice originating in my pocket as she cast some light on Kero's new ability. She was answering my thoughts. _"Kero's two elements are Fire and Earth, whereas Yue's are Water and Wind. When you transform those elemental Spirits into cards, their respective guardians will strengthen."_ That was the first time in a long time I'd heard talk of my other, yet-to-be-seen Guardian. His (I vaguely remembered Kero referring to Yue as 'he' when I had first heard the name) name triggered a curiosity in me, and I vowed that once I got out of this hole I would grill Kero and Voice for everything they knew about Yue.

"Wait, so Kero could spit fireballs almost the entire time?" I asked the air, and I felt rather than saw Voice nod in agreement. "That could've been useful earlier." I raised an eyebrow at Kero, and he sheepishly lifted his shoulders in a 'what-can-you-do' gesture. "At any rate, at least we have some light now. Kero, can you tell what's carved on the ceiling now? All I'm getting is a heap of squiggly lines."

Kero only had to look at the mess on the ceiling before drawing back and cussing. "Sakura, bring us all down. Float and Through won't be able to do anything in here." I heeded his words, shooting him questioning looks all the way back down to the ground. The Van was the last to touch down, landing with a solid 'thump' on the cold asphalt

"The symbol carved into the ceiling was one of old magic. The Kid might recognize it, since I think he studied symbols back in China?" At Syaoran's confirmation, Kero continued. "It prevents weaker spirits, like Through and Float, from working within a fifty-foot radius of where it's been carved. It wouldn't normally be a problem as the radius of the spell is so small, yet this cavern is less than 100 feet in diameter. To get out of here, you're going to have to work some major magical mojo."

"I haven't heard of one of those symbols being used since the days of Clow himself." Syaoran added, a frown drawing his thick brows together. "Eriol must have a great knowledge of magic, in addition to being very powerful to cast such a spell and trap us down here."

"Is it too much to ask to meet someone normal in my life?" I huffed, blowing strands of hair out of my face.

"Normal is boring!" Mei-Lin flippantly stated, shaking back her long mane

"Did Eriol say anything before he disappeared? Some kind of hint?" Tomoyo gently inquired, directing us back to the main subject of getting out of this cavern.

"Yeah, he said something about remembering what we're standing one. But the answer's just a bunch of rock and asphalt, so I don't see how that's helpful." I grumbled, rubbing my temples. I was beginning to feel light-headed, a sign that our oxygen would soon be depleted. We needed to figure out a way out of here, and fast.

"What did Voice say Kero's two elements were?" Syaoran suddenly spoke up, his question coming from seemingly nowhere.

"What?" When Syaoran gestured for me to answer the question, I grudgingly thought back two minutes. "Um, Fire and Earth."

"What are we standing on?" He voiced another soft question, and I finally saw what he was leading me towards. I was a bit angry at his unwanted helping hand and his patronizing tone of voice, but I didn't exactly have time to be angry right now. Being angry uses too much oxygen.

"Rock – Earth. The Earthy." I acknowledged his help but said no words of thanks. I still wasn't feeling 100% hospitable towards him at the moment.

"Do you think that's a powerful enough Spirit to move the hunk of rock above us?" Mei-Lin asked, gesturing at the ceiling.

"Earthy is one of the five elemental Spirits. She's definitively up to the job." Kero responded, perching on my shoulder yet again.

"Alright, then. Let's get out of here before we start looking like fish out of water." I cheered, installing a playfulness into my voice that I wasn't particularly feeling at the moment.

Drawing out Earthy, I transformed her into a Sakura card. She appeared a second afterwards, a tough-looking woman with a bodice of what looked to be solid rock. Her brown hair was spiraled into two wide loops with a clear prism gem hanging from each end. Jagged spikes of rock rose from her forehead, neck, and shoulders. From her shoulders, a cape fanned out behind her. It was the same white color as her skirt. A red, spiny gem rested above the center of her chest, where her heart was. She was the image of strength in Nature.

"Can you move the rocks above?" I asked her, a bit in awe of her rocky exterior. She offered me a small, confident smile. With one solid movement she pushed upwards. The rocks moved at her command, creating a hole large enough to let four teens, one guardian beast, and one clothing Van through. However, her action caused a certain reaction in me, and I doubled over, feeling as if I had been punched in the gut. When Syaoran started over to feed me his green magic, I waved him off. "Just get us out of here."

He obliged, and I soon found myself being raised upwards on a bed of wind. Syaoran stood firmly beside me, a pale yellow slip pressed to his sword; the origin of the wind. As I watched, a small bead of shimmering sweat displaced itself from his hairline and ran down the side of his face. Without thinking, I started to reach out to wipe it away but stopped myself when my hand was still a couple of inches from the side of his jaw. What was I doing? I quickly drew back my hand and turned my eyes away, focusing instead on our journey up to the surface. Hopefully neither Mei-Lin nor Tomoyo had seen my almost-action.

When we finally broke into sky and air, Syaoran set us down, Van and all, on the side of the road near the entrance to the Park. Without me needing to ask, Earthy covered up the gaping hole and laid a new cover of asphalt over it to rebuild the road. Once her work was done she retreated to my pocket, becoming another pink Card volunteering itself to my service.

"Sakura." Kero groaned from his perch on my shoulder. Looking over, I was alarmed to see the little Guardian Beast shivering and slumping to the side.

"Kero!" I scooped him off my shoulder before he fell, placing him on the grass and hovering over him in worry. What was going on? The others hurried up beside me, gaping along with me as Kero began to glow.

Out of nowhere, Kero's little wings grew a hundredfold, knocking us back and encircling my little cub-creature in a cocoon of feathers.

"No, Kero!" I was about to wrench open the feathery mass when it opened on its own account. Inside was what had been my little friend Kero.

He was magnificent now, a true Sun Lion. His wings were large, but he was currently neatly folding them onto his golden, muscular back. There were wicked claws on each of his four paws, which were now almost the size of my head. On his head was a silver helmet-hat with a softly glowing red gem resting on it, positioned so that it lay over the middle of his forehead. Two thin black lines ran from the inner corners of his eyes, giving him a smarter look. Looping around his neck and dripping down over his furry white chest was a giant collar of sorts, emblazed with a larger version of the jewel on his forehead. His white-tufted tail flicked experimentally, and formerly-Kero smiled widely. The grin revealed a set of sharp, pointed teeth.

"Now _this_ is more like it!" formerly-Kero's new voice was deep, rumbling from his broad chest and out his fanged mouth. "Guys, let me introduce you to my true form!"

I couldn't do anything but gape at the new Kero. Fortunately, Mei-Lin was almost never at a loss for words.

"That form isn't permanent, right? Because there is no way we can sneak you around with you looking like that."

"Of course not." Kero huffed, his put-off expression looking a bit odd on his new, feline-esque face. "Here, see. I can change back and forth easily." In the blink of an eye Kero's wings were back, wrapping around his lion form and, when they retreated, leaving his small plush form in its place.

"That is so cool." Tomoyo murmured as Kero returned to his true form.

"I much prefer this form. You don't know how good it feels to be powerful again!" Kero cried, letting loose a stream of fire that crackled and sizzled in the night air. Looks like his small fire-puffs had evolved with his body.

"Kero, careful! Someone might see you!" But I was laughing through my warning, sharing Kero's infectious joy.

"I'll admit it; you are now as impressive as I was originally expecting." Syaoran muttered, put-off about having to apologize (somewhat) for an earlier statement.

Kero ignored his almost-apology, instead turning to me. "Sakura, climb on. You've transported me for far too long; now it's my turn to repay the favor!" I hesitantly approached Lion-Kero, nervous about touching his golden flank. Apparently Kero thought I was taking too long. With one sweep of his head, he had pulled me up off of the ground with his teeth and flung me on his back. I should have probably been scared with those giant teeth clamping down on the back of my coat, but all I could do was laugh. This lion-creature was Kero after all!

We took off, with Tomoyo's shouts of "My jacket! Look at those holes! Kero, what have you done?" trailing behind us as we tried to touch the stars.

* * *

**So, how did you like the super-long chapter? This thing was almost twenty pages! And I'm proud to say Puppetmaster, as a whole, has reached 75,000+ words! SUCCESS! **

**Thanks to all of you who read, and double - no, TRIPLE - thanks to all of y'all who review!**

**Til next time (when I'm back in the USA!)**

**~Winged**


	24. Sick Days

**So, this is a bit shorter of a chapter than they have been of late, and I'm sorry for that! I've been experimenting a bit with writing style, ie with 3rd person in parts of this chapter. **

**As you might have noticed as of late, my updates have been getting more and more infrequent, and I'm very sorry for that. I've been losing my gusto (isn't that a fun word!?) with this story, but I won't give it up! My updates will probably start coming once a month, twice if we're lucky and I get inspiration!**

**But for now, on to the story!**

* * *

I have never seen Touya sick in my entire lifetime. So when he didn't come charging into my room a couple seconds after my alarm clock went off, I figured he had finally begun to trust me to get up on my own. That sense of responsibility hanging over my head was strong enough to stop me smacking the snooze button. Instead, I did the unthinkable. I got up. I got dressed. And I headed downstairs for breakfast.

Breakfast was not already on the table. It was Touya's day to make it, and Touya never missed one of his duties. A nagging feeling of dread followed me as I checked all the downstairs rooms for any sign of my older brother. He was nowhere to be found. I was a little more than completely unprepared when I heard the hacking coughs echoing from his bedroom, but they still caught me by surprise. A couple of seconds later his door opened and a tall, gloomy skeleton dragged its swaying self to the head of the stairs. Before he could stagger right off the edge and break something, I had run up and pushed Touya back into his room and down onto his bed.

"What're you doin'? I got school. Move." I knew it was bad when Touya disregarded his grammar. Touya was still strong enough to push my hovering figure away, but not strong enough to drag himself out of bed a second time. Coughs again raked his body. When they ended he grimaced, clutching his throat.

"You are not going _anywhere._" And neither was I, though I didn't say it out loud. Dad was away for a lecture at a sister college and so it was my responsibility to look after Touya. If Touya figured out in his sick-state that I was skipping school to care for him, my punishment would surely be great.

"Fine. I'll stay here, but you're goin' to school." Crap. Oh well, there was still no way I'd leave Touya here by himself in this state.

"Sorry, but nope. I'm staying to take care of you. Besides, I haven't missed any days of school so far," A somewhat-lie; I hadn't missed any school days _before_ I found the Book, "So I'll just take a sick day. Tomoyo can bring me any notes and homework. Someone has to look after your sick butt!"

"Kura…" Touya trailed off, evidently giving into my superior stubbornness. "Fine. But only this once." My eyebrows lifted. Usually Touya's own hard-headedness would rise to the challenge and counter my statement. He must be worse off than I originally thought!

Laying a hand on his forehead, I whistled through my teeth. "You, sir, are burning up. Gimme a sec, I'm going to go grab us some food and a cold rag. In the meantime, keep your blankets on. Maybe we can sweat out your fever." I left Touya to pile on extra blanket, heading downstairs to gather materials. There I was confronted by a hovering Kero.

"Sakura, what's going on?" He asked impatiently. I could tell he was annoyed that Touya was still cooped up in the house and thus Kero was still cooped up in his mini-form. Since last night I had enforced a new rule: Kero was only to change into Lion-mode when absolutely necessary or when no-one was around. (Kero, after a lot of debate, had managed to add that second part on. I suppose that if I were a magnificent fire-breathing flying lion-beast I'd hate to be cramped up in a tiny toy's body as well.)

"Touya's really sick, so I'm going to stay home and look after him." I stated, trying to keep from sounding snarky in response to Kero's gruffness. He needed to loosen up!

"Great. That means I get to stay here all day, stuck in my tiny temp body in a house with a sick person." Kero muttered, fluttering over to the window and looking gloomily outside. He was always one for dramatics.

I was about to respond with some sort of suck-it-up statement when inspiration struck. "Hey, Kero? Eriol's supposed to show up to school today, and I won't be there if anything happens. Since you're super-powerful and can fly and breath fire, why don't you go in my place? I'd feel much better if you did. You can hitch a ride with Tomoyo, and protect her and the rest of them. I'll be counting on you!" I left no room for Kero to argue, but I don't think he'd actually reject my proposal. Not with all the compliments I had padded it with.

"I _am_ a very powerful being." Kero agreed, puffing up the slightest bit and giving me the signal I needed to nod appreciatively. His soul – or, his consent, at the very least – was mine! "Alright. I'll get out of your hair so you can tend to your annoying brother. Just don't kill him with your cooking." Kero ducked out of the way of the pillow I threw at him, slipping out the door with the slightest of sounds. I stuck my head out behind him, sticking my tongue out at his winged back as it fluttered down the road to my school.

"Don't get caught by anyone!" I shout-whispered at his retreating back. Kero lifted one stubby paw to show that he had heard me. I closed the door as softly as I could.

"'Kura? Wha' was that?" Touya's hoarse cry brought me back to the manner at hand.

"Just making your breakfast!" I called up to him, starting on scrambled eggs and toast and hoping he was too sick to continue his line of questioning.

As I started soaking a washcloth in ice water, my mind wandered to my classroom. Eriol would most likely arrive today, something I was sad to miss. Still, Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, Syaoran, and Kero could keep an eye on him. It was better to have him in view than hiding in the shadows. I just hoped he wouldn't pull anything while I was away.

* * *

When Sakura didn't show up at her usual time (a minute until the start of class) panting and flinging herself into her seat with tired triumph, the girl knew something was up. When the teacher walked into the classroom a minute later and asked the class (but mostly her) where Sakura was, she knew something was wrong. Various worries floated around in her head, the majority of them connecting somehow to the Puppetmaster. A couple worries were connected to the boy, but they were quickly dispersed when sensei announced the arrival of the transfer student they had been expecting.

_He couldn't be two places at once… Could he?_ As that disturbing but not entirely impossible thought floated its way through her brain, said transfer student stepped into the classroom.

She had never seen the boy Sakura had mentioned before, so when he entered the classroom she was half-expecting that he was some random student who had wandered into the wrong class and not the foreign exchange student they were expecting. Yet sensei introduced him as Eriol Hiirigazawa, and through his entire introduction he had his eyes on the girl and her company. Cinnamon eyes were drawn together in a scowl. The amber eyes drifted, seemingly bored, yet their gaze always returned to the new arrival. The girl's trained eyes could see the serious evaluation the amber eyes were giving the new student. The girl herself was scrutinizing the transfer.

At first glance, he didn't look very menacing. In fact, he didn't even look foreign, despite what sensei was saying about him coming from England. He had black hair, so dark as to have a midnight blue sheen to it. A slight smile rested on his thin face. His uniform was impeccable. He wore rounded spectacles over his grey-blue eyes, and the way the light glanced off them would lead the average eye to believe he was the cheery sort. The girl did not have an average eye. She could see the glint for what it was: cold, calculating, intelligent. This was not a boy to trifle with. He was certainly the one who had been the source of their troubles last night.

A half-second after her realization, violet eyes met blue and were held for a good couple of seconds. The boy let slip a half-smirk from his perfect façade, the girl's pleasant mask lowered for a second with the narrowing of her eyes. Then the teacher was directing him to a seat at the front of the classroom. The girl was pleased. This way, she would be able to keep an eye on him throughout the rest of the morning's lessons. This way, she would not be unprepared.

* * *

Lunchtime rolled around just in time for Touya to fall asleep. Not that I minded taking care of him, but a break from catering to him was nice. My big brother wasn't exactly a complacent sickie; he was constantly trying to get up and go downstairs and help me with whatever it was I was doing at the moment. I spent half of my morning climbing up stairs to push him back into his room. The other half of the morning was spent climbing back down those same stairs to soak rags in ice and make various teas and toast.

Now I was standing, warm washcloth in hand, staring down at my sleeping brother. His dark hair was tousled and he had blue bags under his eyes and his breathing was rasping and I found that in that moment as I cared for him that I loved him greatly. I quietly snuck out of his room and back downstairs to fix him another cool washrag.

I'm glad that my magic hasn't touched him or my father yet, even if it's put a distance between us that might take days, months, or years to cross. They're kept in the dark and in the dark they are safe. It helps that both of them have been more invested in college as of late; Touya with learning, Dad with teaching. In addition, Touya's become more involved with Yuki. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm still my usual dense self and unaware of their relationship, but I've always been more perceptive when it comes to my brother. (To be honest, after being rejected by Yuki I spent a while watching him – just watching – to convince myself that I didn't actually love him the way I thought I had. It was then that I had noticed how close he was to my brother, and the pieces had started appearing. It would still be a while before I knew to start putting them together.) Dad knows about it too. Of course we don't care, but Touya has yet to officially come out to us and to the rest.

"_Give him time and don't confront him."_ Dad told me once, when I asked him why Touya hadn't told me that he and Yuki didn't like girls like _that_. _"He hasn't entirely figured it out for himself yet. Give him time to get comfortable."_

I had given Touya four plus years to get comfortable, but in this matter I could be patient. It wasn't something you rushed; I knew that now, even if I hadn't always been as wise. It would be better if he could come to me than if I were to confront him. He is my older brother. Despite how annoying he can get, I love him no matter what.

I was a little surprised that I had managed to think so many deep, gooey thoughts in one sitting. Usually by this point, Kero would have butted in spouting some sarcastic comment. With a start, I remembered that I had sent the little guardian beast off to school. At this point, he would probably be sneaking over to the lunch table to finally make his presence (and my lack thereof) officially known.

Washcloth freshly cooled, I headed back upstairs to lay it on Touya's hot forehead. By the end of this day I was going to have some killer calf-muscles!

* * *

Needless to say, Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, and Syaoran were all the slightest bit freaked out when Kero popped up from under their lunch table, spouting a smile and a cheery 'Yo!'

Tomoyo reacted by clutching her chest where her heart had attempted to jump out from and uttering a half-strangled 'Kero!'

Syaoran reacted by starting the slightest bit, managing (just barely) to keep his stoic expression plastered firmly on his face, his sword from being drawn, and the grunt he let out scarcely audible.

Mei-Lin reacted by slamming the table an inch from Kero's head, managing to divert her direct attack on the intruder at the last second.

Before Kero could yell at Mei-Lin for her actions, Tomoyo and her foresight swooped in, clamping a firm hand over the little Guardian Beast's mouth.

Mei-Lin covered up her violent table-slap by shouting for the entire courtyard to hear, "Take _that_, bug!" Syaoran snorted, to which Mei-Lin stuck out her tongue and rebutted him. "I know it's not a very good cover-up, but it's the best I can do under short notice. Now can we please focus on the important thing here?"

"You mean why Kero is at our lunch table." Syaoran stated at the same time that Kero flung Tomoyo's hand off his mouth and said "Of course we should focus on the Creep's official arrival."

Tomoyo again intervened before the hotheads could truly begin to let off steam. "First, we'll talk about why Kero is here and where Sakura is, because I'm sure the two go hand-in-hand. As Kero hasn't approached us earlier – and I'm sure he's been here for a while – we can assume that Sakura is in no immediate danger. Still, I'd like to hear what kept her from coming to school today. After that we can discuss Eriol. Alright?" When the others all nodded at her preposition, Tomoyo smiled. "Good. Kero, you go ahead."

"Like you guessed, nothing's wrong with Sakura. It's her older brother that's the problem." Kero started. Syaoran flinched at the words 'older brother,' and Tomoyo and Mei-Lin shared a hidden grin at this. It was obvious to them of his discomfort, even if he himself was not yet aware of why Touya rattled him so. "She's at home taking care of him."

"She's taking care of Touya? Why, what's wrong?" Tomoyo was concerned, as was her right. Even if she hadn't interacted much with Touya as of late, he was still her best friend's older brother and almost like an older brother to her.

"Eh, just some cold. It was amazing; he was so quiet! Except when he was hacking up a lung, that is." Kero marveled, smiling at Tomoyo. Shaking her head at him, she began to dig into her lunch.

"Wait, so then why are you here?" Mei-Lin asked, taking a sip from her juice bottle.

"Oh, so I could protect you guys of course!" At Kero's response Mei-Lin nearly spat out her mouthful of juice.

"What!? Is that what Sakura said?" Mei-Lin was beginning to puff up, the seeming-insult hitting a nerve. "Well, if she thinks that we can't defend ourselves then-"

"Mei-Lin." Syaoran cut off his cousin before Tomoyo could, his level-headedness beating out his temper and providing him a clear view to the real reason of Kero's arrival. "Sakura wanted Kero _out of the house_ so that he could protect us. Do you get it?"

Realization dawned on Mei-Lin's face and she slowly nodded. "Oh! Yeah, Sakura wanted to take care of her brother and we needed, well, _protection_."

"Of course Sakura needs me out of the house to protect you guys; Eriol arrived today, didn't he?"

"And that brings us to our second topic, thank you Kero. What are we going to do about Eriol?" Tomoyo smoothly transitioned away from a potentially dangerous topic into safer territory.

"Watch him, obviously." Mei-Lin dead-panned, shoveling down rice and speaking around her meal.

"Jeez, Brat! Speak, don't spray!" Kero cried out, flicking a piece of stray rice off of his head and grimacing. A glare from Syaoran kept Mei-Lin from turning Kero's comment into an all-out word war.

"_Sorry_." She huffed, after taking great care to chew and swallow her food first. Kero humph-ed and Tomoyo took it upon herself to, once again, steer the conversation into calmer waters.

"We'll watch Eriol of course, but don't you think it would be good if we were to take the proactive route for once? Instead of waiting for him to come confront us, we should confront him." Kero raised his eyebrows (or, where he would have had eyebrows were he a normal animal-beast-thing) at her forward statement.

"Yeah Tomoyo, that's the way show a little fight!" Mei-Lin cheered. "We should totally go confront Eriol! Shake him up a little so he doesn't try any more fancy cave-in tricks on us."

"I don't think it's a terrible plan." Syaoran stated, letting Tomoyo know in his own way that he approved of the idea.

"Then let's go!" Kero cried, rising two inches up off the table before having his little orange self dragged back down again by Tomoyo.

"Kero, careful! You can't fly freely around here; someone might spot you." Tomoyo chided, letting him go only after he sheepishly nodded to her.

"Sorry; I forgot. I'll just, um, crawl in here, then." Rubbing the back of his head bashfully, Kero climbed into Tomoyo's messenger bag, taking great care to not show any body part over its rim. Shaking her head, Tomoyo stood up, followed by Mei-Lin and Syaoran.

As it turns out, they didn't have to look very long for Eriol. He practically ran into them.

"Ah, I've been looking for your four!" Eriol stated pleasantly.

"Four, but-" Eriol cut Mei-Lin off with a gesture to Tomoyo's bag. Kero reluctantly stuck his head out, glaring at Eriol and his 'damn perceptiveness.'

"Might I ask where Sakura is?" His blue eyes were reading them all.

Before Mei-Lin or Kero (or possibly Syaoran) could give away their hand, Tomoyo stepped in. "She's returning the absent treatment you gave us yesterday. Might I ask why you arrived a day late to school when you were most clearly here yesterday?"

Eriol's eyebrows rose as a look of pleasant surprise crossed his face.

_Here, of all places, an advisory. A sparring partner._ He would have never imagined the silly seamstress, as he had previously thought of Tomoyo, to be so wise. This might turn out to be an interesting day after all, despite Sakura's absence.

"Come now, Miss Daidouji. I'm sure that's not the question you really want to ask." His grin was gentle, his manner distinguished. Tomoyo was not fooled.

"If it's all the same to you, Mister Hiirigazawa, I'd rather you answer my question. I'm sure it will tell us plenty."

Mei-Lin, Kero, and Syaoran watched the exchange of the two with great interest, their heads swaying from side to side with each volleyed statement.

"Well then, I shall do my best to answer your question, my good lady." Eriol smiled at Tomoyo, a set of perfect white teeth. He was charm and charisma and cunning, and Tomoyo was wary.

"Please." Tomoyo smiled back, her pink lips stretched to corner at two dimples. She was calmness and clarity and calculation, and Eriol was alert.

"Damn." Mei-Lin hissed under her breath. "Can you feel that sparking in the air?"

"Yeah." Kero responded, perched on Mei-Lin's shoulder, half-hidden by the curtain of her hair.

"Shh." Syaoran hushed the two, keeping his eyes locked on Tomoyo and Eriol.

"I was not at school yesterday as I was preparing a test and a gift for Sakura." Eriol stated.

"You are referring to the cave-in of last night, are you not? I can hardly see how that could be considered a gift, and if you truly meant to test Sakura you would have not started with something so intense and instruction-less." Tomoyo raised a single eyebrow. She was not yet to the stage of battle that would require arm-crossing and hip-cocking, but she was getting there.

"The tests you learn the most from are the ones you are not expecting." Eriol smiled, sliding his glasses up his nose. He, too, was readying for battle. "And I must admit the gift I gave was not so much designed for Sakura as for Keroberos. His true form has been released, has it not?"

A furrow appeared in the space between Kero's non-existent eyebrows. "Yeah, but, how'd you know?"

"I have eyes on your group." Eriol's smile was either protective or creepy – Tomoyo couldn't tell.

"So you're saying you set up the test or whatever specifically to manipulate Sakura into releasing Kero's true form." Syaoran summed up Eriol's cryptic words. "You're no better than the Puppetmaster, then."

"Bravo, my cute little descendant! It looks like you've inherited a bit of my genius!"

Syaoran was freaked out a whole lot more than a little bit at Eriol's most recent statement. "Descendant?" He managed to get out.

"In a very loose sense, yes." Eriol seemed no more perturbed at calling Syaoran his nephew as he would be of calling Syaoran a boy. It was a fact to him, plain and simple.

"Excuse me, but I don't see how it would be at all possible for Syaoran to be your descendant if you are the same age." Despite the circumstances, Tomoyo's voice was lighthearted and polite.

"Forgive me for saying so, but are you really one to refute impossible circumstances?"

Tomoyo was silent.

"So Syaoran's related to you in some weird, screwy manner. So what? What I want to know is why you almost _killed_ us last night!" Mei-Lin's temper flared, and she moved on to the battle stage of crossed arms.

"My dear, I knew that no harm would come to you. And if Sakura had failed to reach my expectations, I would have freed you all. I am no Puppetmaster. I am not your enemy."

Despite everything piled up against him, Tomoyo felt obliged to believe Eriol. It wasn't because of his smooth-talking, or his courteous manner. She felt obliged to believe him because she felt that he was, actually, telling the truth. He had set up his test last night so it would force Sakura to think outside her box and use the spirit that would release Kero's true form. Why would the Puppetmaster – or any of his allies – want to increase Sakura's power?

"I believe you."

"Tomoyo?" Mei-Lin whispered, grabbing the violet-eyed girl's arm, "What are you doing? We _don't_ believe him, that's why we went out to confront him in the first place!"

"I believe him." Tomoyo repeated.

"Thank you." Eriol was surprised – bewildered, really – at this soft-spoken girl's faith in him. It was touching, and he had long since forgotten what it felt like to be trusted.

Syaoran said nothing, but from the hardening of his eyes and the slight shift in his stance, it was obvious that he would not trust this man quiet yet. He would keep his amber eyes on Eriol.

"Well, I'm not going to trust the Creep any farther than I can spit!" Kero was very vocal, and Mei-Lin quickly shoved him farther under her hair to hide him from the eyes of curious passerby's.

"I'm not asking you all to trust me. I'm asking you to give me a chance to further test Sakura." Eriol's eyes were open, honest. For once he put no barrier over his words.

"As long as you do not endanger her, I will allow it." Tomoyo stated, despite the protests of those on her side.

"Thank you. Now-"

Eriol was cut off by the cheerful tune of Tomoyo's cell phone. It was a special ringtone assigned only to Sakura, and Tomoyo's worries from that morning returned. Hesitantly, she answered the call. Something was wrong.

* * *

I paused at the top of the stairs. Something was off. A bad feeling was stretching itself from Touya's bedroom to reach me, and I was fearful of what might lie behind his door. For the first time that morning, I wished I hadn't sent Kero off to school.

For about a minute I had an internal debate about whether or not to release my star key into my staff. If Touya was in danger, it'd be nice to have it ready. On the other hand, I didn't know for sure anything was up; I had heard no strange sounds, felt no strange presences. All I had to go on was a gut feeling. And if it turned out – as it probably would – nothing was wrong and I was just suffering from a bout of weary-induced paranoia, I didn't want to have to deal with the questions Touya would pose about my staff.

(_Keep telling yourself its nothing and it will turn out to be so._)

In the end, I resorted to clutching the key in my hand, my cards at the ready in my pocket. I approached Touya's door much more slowly than I normally would have.

The door was closed when I reached it, which meant that Touya hadn't gotten out of bed. I pushed it open softly, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep. His bed was a mess of covers; I had kept piling them on him all morning to keep him from being cold and to help sweat out his fever. I approached the pile, taking care to avoid stepping on any stray textbooks strewn across his floor. There was no break from Touya's messiness!

With washcloth in hand, I stopped at the front end of the bed. Touya's head was nowhere in sight, and I guessed he had pulled it under the comforters because his ears were cold or some such nonsense. I, personally, couldn't sleep with anything over my head. I liked feeling the movement of the air and being able to breathe freely. In one swift motion I tugged the top of the comforter back to expose…

…Nothing. Touya's head was not there. Frantically, I yanked the rest of the covers of the bed, washcloth sitting forgotten on the edge of Touya's pillow, soaking into its cotton cover. There was no Touya anywhere. Instead, slashed into the mattress, were two words: "Hello Sakura." The message was underlined with purple thread.

I found a phone in a little less than ten seconds, and in another ten seconds I was not-so-calmly waiting for Tomoyo to pick up.

When she did, my fear tumbled out my mouth in three loaded words. "He's got Touya."

* * *

**Ooooo, cliffhanger! What will happen next? Actually, I've only got a vague idea myself, so the next chapter might take a while... I'm sorry! Gah, I really wish I could write chapters quicker! Oh well. I will write this chapter, but probably not until September. Thanks again for reading!**

**~Winged**


	25. Bright Side of the Moon

***Quick note: I've changed my username from WingedWolfStar to UpsideofCrazy. Please take note!  
**

_**What's this? An update? No way, can't be. This story's been on an unannounced Hiatus for, like, months.  
**_**Well I'm back and so is Puppetmaster! I promised you guys I'd finish it and I will. I don't know how many chapters are left, but its definitively under ten. Possibly under five. I dunno, but we're nearing the climax. Hang on kiddos, it's about to be a bumpy ride!  
**_**...**_**Not really, but we are continuing to pick up some speed. I'm also finally getting around to introducing a character I'm sure some of you have been wondering about. So with a quick DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything CCS related, we can get this show on the road! Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm sorry, I just… I can't right now. Sorry." As soon as I had gotten out my main message, I found myself freezing at the thought of trying to gather my scattered thoughts enough to form semi-coherent sentences about what had happened. Tomoyo would have to work with that one statement for now; I was physically incapable of garnering another. I hung up.

For about two minutes after I got on the phone, I could do nothing but stand in Touya's bedroom and stare at his mauled mattress. Two halves of my brain were arguing; one stated that it would be only right for my friends to rush immediately to my side to comfort me after such an event and that I should sit here and expect them, the other half refuted that it was the middle of a school day and if they randomly left it would raise eyebrows and lead to questions I'd rather not answer so I should seek my brother myself. Boiled down, should I stay or should I go? My brain weighed each side.

_I promised them. I promised them I'd never again go off by myself – none of us would._

_They don't have to know. In fact, you could make it as if you were never gone! Twin can see to that. And every second you waste could be another second of Touya being-_

_**Stop.**__ Don't finish that sentence. Touya's fine; I would know if he wasn't. It'd be stupid to go into a battle by myself. _

_But you're not alone. You have all your cards. Think about it; do you really want to bring your friends to ground zero? Kero could handle it, possibly, and maybe Syaoran. But Mei-Lin doesn't have any boons to speak of besides her natural fighting abilities. And what about Tomoyo? What about the last time you tried to protect your friends? Ask yourself; how well can you really protect them from the Puppetmaster?_

Should I stay or should I go? It really wasn't much of a question, if I was being honest. Of course I would go. My brother was out there, trapped in the clutches of the Puppetmaster. I couldn't sit still and do nothing, forget all former promises. It was the best option for everyone. _(Everyone but me.) _After all, my own brain knew me best, knew my strengths and my weaknesses. Especially my weaknesses, and my biggest flaw: my love of my friends and family. My brain knew how much I would do for them, to what lengths I would go to protect them. It was right; I couldn't continue to risk their lives like this. The Puppetmaster had snatched Touya from under my nose. How could I hope to protect any of the people I loved while he was still out there? The horrifying conclusion: I couldn't. That conclusion led me to another: The Puppetmaster was still toying with me, picking up speed as he targeted the ones I loved. He was hurting me through hurting them and he knew it; he knew my weakness, he had all along. I had a feeling he wouldn't be done toying with me for a while. And by the time he was finished, I would very likely be the only one left standing. That was an option I couldn't consider. Piling all my revelations up, I came to one final resolution:

One of us must fall, and we must decide it, alone, _now._

Tomoyo would ignore me after it _(If I come back.)_, Kero would scold me _(Of course I'll come back!)_, Mei-Lin would hate me for a while as her temper flared _(How do I know that? Why am I guaranteed safe return?)_, Eriol might understand _(I __**will**__ come back.)_, and Syaoran, with his chocolate hair and wolf-amber eyes and comforting green magic and smile and frown and smooth voice and steadily beating heart…

Syaoran might just love me, and I might just love him back, more than I ever expected. _(What if there is no other option?)_ I don't know where it had come from, or when, but it had slowly crept up on me from that moment in a classroom eons ago when our eyes locked and I found myself on an amber beach. Now, standing alone in a lifeless house, I was finally letting myself realized that four-letter word, that love. And I was finding that I might just be okay with that.

_(There is always another option.)_

This was not the time. Not with the Puppetmaster marking down everything I held dear. If I confessed, even to myself, that I put him above the rest, then he would be put above the rest in the Puppetmaster's book. He would be marked with the biggest target. No, better to still my heart and keep him safe. For half a second I wished I could consult Tomoyo and Mei-Lin, to ask them about my strange new feelings and what I should do and how I should cope. But then I remembered my brother, sitting stuck in the Puppetmaster's clutches, and I remembered the time I had left.

I could make my excuses and apologizes later, right now I had to leave. I had to find my brother. Grabbing my cards, rollerblades, and a jacket, I headed out.

I paused at the door. _Tomoyo will want to know how I am; she's worried enough already and I don't want her coming to check up on me right now. She and the others would insist on coming with me and I can't drag them into this anymore than I already have. I can't have any of them hurt again. _I didn't want to call her back and risk meeting her wrath and, worse still, riling up her protective worry that would send her and the others flying to my side, skipping school to do so. Whipping out my phone, I quickly composed a text for her. I didn't like lying, but at this point I saw no other option.

_tomoyo and rest_

_im still at home. dont worry ill wait. c u later._

As soon as I sent the text my phone began singing. Tomoyo was trying to call me. I ignored the call, taking deep breaths to compose myself. Soon after my phone stopped generating music it started buzzing. A text. I ignored that too, shoving my phone back in my pocket with shaking fingers. Before I could set out again, another thought stopped me from twisting the golden door handle. _What if Tomoyo and the others came here looking for me before (__**if**__) I come back?_ If Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, Syaoran, and Kero found an empty house after a Puppetmaster alert like the one I'd broadcast I wasn't sure what they would do, I just knew it wouldn't be pretty. So I scribbled down another note, this one on the back of an old grocery list.

_Everyone,_

_I'm sorry I lied to you, but I can't let anyone else get wrapped up in my mess. Don't worry, I'll be back. _

_Love,_

_Sakura_

That would have to do. I couldn't tell them where I was going; they'd rush to my side immediately. Placing the note on the center of the kitchen counter where it would be easily seen, I finally set out, unsure of where my destination would be.

Twenty minutes later I was rolling to a stop just past the iconic penguin slide. Penguin park. My go-to place for whenever I had something heavy on my mind. It was as good a place as any to start trying to find Touya. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, perfect for brainstorming where the Puppetmaster might be keeping him. I searched for as sunny a spot I could find to think. Tomoeda was rapidly approaching winter and the weather seemed to be a step ahead of the game. Huffing from my hurried rollerblading, I found I could see my breath sharply exiting my mouth in hazy white puffs. An open bench beckoned, the sunlight falling directly onto its wooden planks. Yet as soon as I sat down I was up again, unable to stay still with the whirlwind in my mind. I skated idle circles around the playground, my mind following my body's motions. Where was Touya? Was he alright? What if something happened to him? Where was he? Was he okay?

I made myself stop. Stop moving, stop thinking, stop worrying. I couldn't get anything sorted out with my head a mess like this. I straightened, remembering the meditative breathing Kero had taught me so long ago. _In, out, in, out…_

Eventually my pulse returned to normal and I was left with space enough in my head to really think. The first thing I had to do was prepare my Cards. I had to be powerful, ready for any kind of trap the Puppetmaster might spring. After my spirits and I were armed and ready, I could go about figuring out the "where" of the Puppetmaster's dungeon or whatever it was he was keeping Touya in and the "how" of busting my big brother out and clearing out the evil thing.

Finding a deserted clearing off of a path in the park (the park was seemingly deserted but I didn't want to take any chances,) I began to set up my army. My Sakura Cards greeted me with a cheerful glow, their pink light providing comfort and security though the hand that held them shook something awful. Throughout the months I had held them (Had it really been only months? It seemed like years since I had fallen out of that tree and into a life I would've never considered. And I am so much older now.), I had slowly transformed the majority. Their faces stared up at me, willing me luck and promising their metaphorical swords. At the bottom of the pile, I found the still-brown Clow Cards. They were still silent to me, but before the upcoming battle I knew I would speak with them all.

_Change. Dream. Fly. Illusion. Shadow. Sleep. Watery. Wood._

"Voice?" I asked the chilly air. She replied almost immediately from within my Deck.

"_Yes?"_

"Which are the most powerful spirits? I'll need them."

I didn't have to explain myself to her; she understood. And she answered. _"Light and Dark are powerful in their own regards, but the most powerful spirits you have are the elemental ones: Windy, Watery, Firey, Earthy, and Wood. When used together, they give immutable strength."_

Glancing down at my Cards, I discovered I had three of the five already changed to Sakura Cards. Time to change the other two.

I picked myself up and skated farther into the park until I was totally removed from all people. Slipping off my rollerblades and sitting them down beside a tree, I carefully stepped off the path. After double-checking to make sure no-one was around, I withdrew my star key.

The power came easily to me now. I pinched it with imaginary fingers from the well deep within my body, the metaphorical pink strands twirling around my grip. An idle thought passed my mind, seemingly related to the way those pink strands were starting to take a five-pronged shape. I brushed off the thought; right now, I needed to focus on the upcoming confrontation. I focused on guiding the power out of my body and into the key clutched in my right hand. With the barest of thoughts, the key elongated into my star-headed staff.

This summer I hadn't known magic existed in this world. Now I controlled it with ease.

"_Sakura? I wanted to let you know that I'm pretty sure transforming those cards will take a lot out of you. If you're planning on fighting the Puppetmaster right after, you might want to reconsider."_

"It's okay Voice, I'm strong enough. I can handle it."

"_If you're sure…"_ She trailed off, her voice soft with worry. But I was confident. I had managed to stand my own against the Puppetmaster time and time again with less strength than I had now and I had transformed multiple cards in tandem before. In this short time I had grown so much, come so far. Now, I was ready for it all to end.

I hated to admit it to anyone, least of all myself, but I was bitter. Even if his purple strings weren't wrapped around my heart or my head, I could feel myself being influenced by the Puppetmaster every day. My words had grown sharper, my temper shorter, and my outlook on life darker. I wanted my sunshine days back, even if I had to take them by force.

"Ready for this?" I whispered. "Touya, if you can hear me, don't worry. I will save you."

A light tap to each of the two cards caused them to change color into a beautiful, lively pink. Once upon a time this hue had been my favorite, no questions asked. Now, certain colors were creeping up to overthrow its position at the top, certain shades of green and amber.

After the cards were transformed a ripple of soundless, formless, lightless energy spread out from the epicenter of my hand. It stirred a slight wind in the trees, rustling empty grey branches and brittle pine needles. Then everything was verge-of-winter silent again and I was left feeling hollow and far older than I had a right to feel.

I felt my inner power shrivel a bit with my large spending of magic. It had shrunk, but it was still substantial enough to get me through my battle with the Puppetmaster. (_You hope,_ the little cynical voice inside my head whispered.) That shrinkage had brought with it a wave of nausea, and I had to bend over and focus of keeping the contents of my stomach where they belonged for a few moments. The bout passed fairly quickly, and I could only pray no further effects would make themselves known to me during the battle to come. I knew spending so much energy like this was not advisable in the slightest and there probably would be repercussions in the (hopefully distant) future, but there was no other way. I certainly wasn't going to call Syaoran up to have him and the rest join me in the park so I could siphon off his magic supply.

Now there were only six brown cards left in my deck of pink.

_Change. Dream. Fly. Illusion. Shadow. Sleep._

"Voice, what will happen when I transform all the cards?"

Voice, for once, was silent.

Shrugging off her unnatural lack of words, I brought forth my five elemental cards. I was about to release the spirits and prepare them (but mostly myself) for battle when I felt the air shift behind me. Turning around, I was met with a beautiful, cold-eyed angel.

The angel was a man. The only way I could tell was his completely flat chest and the set of his jaw. Other than that, he was fairly feminine in features. He was taller than me by a good foot and a half. I knew I wasn't the tallest girl in the world, but this man would have towered over most everyone. His hair was snow white and long – it reached down to his mid-calf. It was held back by a black velvet ribbon. He was dressed in white, with an overcoat highlighted with winter blues along its edges flowing down his frame to the point where his hair hung. A blue stone glowed over the center of his chest, clasping his coat. A trail of silky white fabric was draped over one of his arms.

He wore no shoes, instead standing in the snow. His eyes almost matched the shade of the flakes that had begun to fall from the sky.

_Actually…_ Looking up, I noticed for the first time the brilliant full moon. _His eyes are that exact shade._

Suddenly he fell to one knee, bringing a hand across his chest and bowing towards me. To my surprise, a pair of gorgeous white wings swooped out from behind him, their feathers catching the moonlight.

"Mistress." His voice had a feminine lilt to it, but it held the deep husk of a man's voice.

"Um, hi." I squeaked, embarrassed to find my cheeks flushing. What could I say? The dude was model-gorgeous.

"I am your Guardian."

"Another one? I already have Kero…" At my comment, a half-smirk appeared on the angel-man's face.

"But I do not see him guarding you right now. I doubt he has even achieved his true form." So he was snarky angel, huh? No problem. I had grown up with a snarky brother, so I knew how to handle the type.

"Actually, Kero _did_ achieve his true form, and before you ever showed up! And might I ask where you were when you could've been 'guarding' me like Kero did? As for Kero's absence, I _asked_ him to go somewhere else." I handled sass with even more sass and a bit of a child's attitude. Whatever, it worked well enough.

The angel slowly rose out of his bow, the entire time managing to sneer down his nose at me even when he was below eye level. "My apologies, Mistress." By the tone of his voice, he seemed to be anything but apologetic. "It seems we have taken a step forward on the wrong foot. Let me reintroduce myself: Greetings, Mistress. I am your second guardian. I draw my power from the moon. My name is Yue."

Despite his cold tone of voice, Yue seemed to be making an effort to smooth things over with me. I accepted his olive branch. "My name is Sakura, you don't have to call me mistress. And it's nice to meet you, Yue. I'm assuming you've been released into your true form because I transformed Watery and Wood?"

"I only required Watery to be in power to reach this form. My supporting spirits are Watery and Windy. Wood is unique in supporting no guardian, although you could no doubt make one for it to support when you reach your full potential." Wait, was he saying that I could _make_ a guardian? Then, did that mean…?

"To answer the question you are no doubt thinking, yes. Kero and I were made by Clow many years ago. He sealed us away when he wished to die and we have been trapped ever since, Kero within the book and I… Well, I have lain dormant in the body of your Yukito Tsukishiro."

"You're _Yuki_?" I took a half step back, stumbling over the frozen ground. Yuki, my once-upon-a-time crush and my brother's best friend and probable love was my _guardian_? 'It's a small world after all' never seemed like a truer statement.

"Yes. He knows nothing of my existence other than an enormous appetite and bouts of weakness he experienced when you first released your powers. Do not worry, he is fine now that your power has been further realized." Yue quieted my worries before they had the chance to fully form. "I would, however, prefer to keep him ignorant of my existence."

"Well _I'd_ prefer to tell him about everything, especially if he's going to be putting his life – well, your life, but they're basically the same thing – on the line in the battle that's coming up. He has a right to know about this: you, me, the Puppetmaster, and especially what happened to Touya. So can you just, I dunno, transform back into Yuki so I can fill him in?"

Yue considered me for a long time. I struggled not to flinch under his cold gaze as he appraised me, subtly shifting my shoulders back a half inch. Eventually he answered me. "If that is what my Mistress wishes, then I shall comply."

"It's Sakura, not…" I trailed off as Yue's wings swept out and surrounded his form in much the same way that Kero's had the night before. When the feathery cocoon opened I was face-to-face with a very bewildered looking Yuki.

"Sakura? What happened? I was just on my way to get groceries for my grandparents. Now I'm in the park. Did I run into you? Did I faint?"

"Don't worry Yuki, you're fine. Well, kinda." When alarm began to register in his glasses-covered eyes, I quickly continued speaking. "No, it's okay! You're not in any danger. Well, um, actually that's kinda a lie… How about we sit down? I have a lot to tell you and I don't know how much time I have to tell it in." I led Yuki back to the sunny bench near the entrance of the park and seated him. He was silent and moved slowly. I guessed it was from the shock of being seemingly teleported from one place to the next.  
This was going to be one long explanation.

* * *

I hadn't checked my phone beforehand so I couldn't know exactly how long I had been explaining the situation to Yuki, stopping to answer his occasional questions, but it must have been close to an hour. There was a lot to tell.

"Let me summarize everything for you, just for clarity. A couple months ago – it's really has been just a couple of months, hasn't it? – I opened the book of Clow and took control of the spirits inside of it using a magic I didn't know I had and the star key-slash-staff I showed you earlier. That key necklace was a gift from my mom, did you know that? I wonder why she had it, or why she entrusted it to me… But back to the recap. Kero was also part of that package deal. He's the other guardian, like I mentioned. I'll introduce you two later. I told Tomoyo what happened of course, but not my family. I'll tell them later. Well, I guess Touya already knows part of the truth now…" I trailed off, feeling tears prick the backs of my eyes. No, no crying now. No more crying until the Puppetmaster was gone. "Anyways, I told Tomoyo and for a while I used the cards for everyday hassles, transforming them into the pink Sakura Cards like I showed you. Then the Puppetmaster showed up and basically made my life hell. In the middle of his mess Mei-Lin came over from China, and then a week later her cousin Syaoran came too. They were supposed to get the book and cards and take them back with them to their Li headquarters in China – like I mentioned earlier, they come from a family of magic users and studiers, and fighters – but then they found out about the Puppetmaster and they've been helping me." If Yuki had taken notice of my pinks cheeks when I had talked previously about Syaoran or when I talked about him now, he tactfully didn't indicate his observation.

"Continuing on, Eriol showed up just a few days ago and I'm still not sure if he's helping us or not. My gut tells me he's an ally, but… Whatever, I'll figure it out later. He did help me transform Kero… And that brings me back to you. How you're also my guardian Yue. Do you kinda understand everything now?" I ended my "brief" summary and leaned back into the railing of the bench. Telling my story had made me realize how much had happened – how much I'd grown – in such a short period of time. I'd done things I'd never dreamt of, met people I'd never forget, and suffered things worse than any of my nightmares. But soon, it'd be done. Soon I could try to fit myself back into the skin of the ordinary, once-upon-a-day 'Sakura Kinomoto' and try my best to continue life as normal. It would be difficult and I don't know if I would ever fully mold myself back into that past-self, but that was a challenge for another day. There were more pressing matters at hand.

"I think I've got the basics down. I've got another self, one who's magical like you, and we have to save Touya from the Puppetmaster, who is evil personified." When I nodded, Yuki's eyes softened and sought mine out. "A lot's happened to you, huh Sakura?" Years ago his concern would have sent me floating to the stars. Now it left me touched, but I was still solidly grounded.

"A lot's happened." I echoed back, smiling wearily. I think one of the most substantial changes had been in my attitude. I had thought it before, but I thought it again now. I didn't think I could smile the way I used to, carefree and completely innocent. Maybe one day I'd learn that smile again. I could only hope. _Everything will surely be alright… eventually._

I rose from the bench abruptly, turning my back on him. I didn't need his pity now, and I certainly didn't need his help in solving the mess I'd found myself in. I didn't want any more of my friends to get involved, and if I let anything happen to Yuki, I could only imagine how Touya would react. Speaking off, "I have to go; Touya needs me."

"Alright, then how do I change into Yue? Do I just imagine becoming him? Or do you have to call him out?" I heard Yuki stand up behind me. Soon enough he had stepped back into my line of vision, concern still evident on his face.

"No, Yuki. I'm the only one going. If you insist on following me, I'll somehow call Yue out and make him stay. I think he has to heed my orders. Or he's just super obedient. Either way, he'd follow my command. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Then what about you?" The voice was deep, slightly out of breath, and came from the other side of the park's clearing. I whipped around to find Syaoran staring at me, his brows drawn tight over flashing amber eyes. As I stood there, shocked, Mei-Lin and Tomoyo ran up to stand beside him. Kero hovered over Tomoyo's shoulder.

"Sakura, what were you thinking?" Tomoyo's disapproving voice was one I rarely heard.

"Yeah, what the hell? Didn't we promise no one goes off by themselves?" Mei-Lin's temper flared. I had to diffuse this situation before her temper, and the others', blew up in my face.

Kero was opening his mouth to add in his two cents when I hurridly cut him off. "I'm not alone! Yuki was keeping me company, see? I was just coming to the park to clear my head. I left a note! I needed some space to think and the house seemed to be closing in on me." The partial-lie sounded weak to my own ears, my voice forced into a fake energetic timbre.

"And I'm sure you had every intention of coming back to the house after your breather, right _Sakura_?" Normally Syaoran emphasizing my name would send a chill down my spine. It still did, but the chill was one of dread, not one of giddiness. His bitingly sarcastic tone halted all attempts I would have made to keep up my false pleasant front. I kept with my earlier tactic of dealing with sarcasm; I used even more sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I had to tell you every minute detail of my life." I knew I was in the wrong on this one, but I wasn't willing to give up an ounce of my pride. However, when even Tomoyo's eyes narrowed at my comment, I relented. "Fine. I just wanted to end it, okay? I'm tired of my life being out of my control, I'm tired of my friends getting hurt, and I'm tired of getting hurt myself. Touya's already been taken, I can't handle losing anyone else. That's why I didn't want you guys to follow me. And might I ask how you found me? I didn't say anything about Penguin Park."

"Sakura. Like I've just met you." Tomoyo's voice softened and she stepped forward until she was standing in front of me, her gentle smile so much better than her previous disapproving eyes. "I know you don't want us to get hurt, but we don't want you hurt either. Together is better, remember?" I did remember, flashing back to that awful summer when I'd refused to step out of my room after my grandfather's funeral. Tomoyo had been there then, standing outside my doorway and talking to me through the wood day in and day out until eventually she had uttered that single, cheesy phrase. Then I had opened the door.

"Yeah Tomoyo helped us find you and now here we are being better together, but can we talk about the tall, handsome, hopefully available elephant in the park?" Mei-Lin's temper had also died down and her attention had now been captured by Yuki.

"Mei-Lin, um…" I floundered, turning to Tomoyo for help. How could I put this to Mei-Lin gently, without letting the boy in question know that I knew about his sexual orientation, especially regarding my brother?

Yuki stepped in for the both of us, smiling kindly as he pushed up his glasses and turned to me. "It's okay. I should have figured you'd pick up on it. How long have you known?"

"Um, around four years?"

He whistled lowly. "That long, huh? And I'm guessing Tomoyo knows as well." She gave a nod. "Well don't worry, you two. We were about to come out, saying it now won't hurt anything. Sorry, Mei-Lin was it? I'm gay." Yuki's confession was smooth, rehearsed. He smiled through the whole thing and I couldn't have been prouder of him. My friends, on the other hand, weren't so composed. Syaoran was looking down with cheeks painted red, though whether the color was because of Yuki's confession or Mei-Lin's bluntness I wasn't sure. Mei-Lin herself was standing speechless. But Touya should have been standing there next to him, blushing as furiously as Syaoran and looking everywhere but his audience, flustered to counter his serene partner.

Apparently, Yuki was thinking along the same lines I was. "We have bigger concerns than my sexual preferences to worry about. Sakura, do you know where Touya is?"

"You told him about Touya? What else? Did you tell him about _him_?" Syaoran's blush quickly faded as his eyes narrowed at me. I couldn't help a small wave of disappointment from breaking over my mind as I realized he was slower to forgive me than the others. _Why? Doesn't he like me? Did I think wrongly?_

"If you mean the Puppetmaster, yes, I know what he's capable of."

Syaoran's glare intensified at Yuki's words. "Did you tell him everything? What about 'keeping friends out of this,' huh?"

"Well I kinda had to tell him everything, seeing as how I'm pretty sure he's been wrapped up in this mess before it even started!" I rose to meet Syaoran's anger despite my better judgment telling me to step down. "I mean, he's- you know what? It'll be easier just to show you. Yuki, do you think you could switch?"

"I should be able to, now that I know about him. Give me a moment to try." As Yuki turned aside I continued to glare at Syaoran. His eyes had dulled a bit with his confusion but they were still sharp and painful, hurting at more than one level.

When I saw Yuki starting to glow out of the corner of my eye, Kero was the first to figure it out. "No way Sakura, you found him? How?"

I hadn't begun to answer Kero when Yue's wings swept out of Yuki's back, engulfing the young man and then letting Yue out to answer for himself. "She finished transforming the elemental cards my power is based in. I immediately sought her out after my transformation. I was worried she might have been in trouble and in need of my help. It seemed I was right, more so than I first thought." Yue's cold eyes were so startlingly different from Yuki's cheery ones. Kero's personality stayed intact through his transformations. Yue was a completely different story.

"Is that Yue?" Syaoran was the next to find his voice. I wasn't terribly surprised he knew about my other guardian. He had been raised to know all he could about the Clow Cards and the legends surrounding them, at least according to Mei-Lin. I hadn't gotten the chance to ask him personally about his past yet. I wondered if he would even answer any of my questions.

"Yes, I am Yue. I am her second guardian, hailing from the moon and the spirits of wind and water. Nice to meet you." Yue introduced himself with a curt bow and curter words. Suddenly there was another pair of wings sprouting in the clearing and soon Kero stood in front of us in his true form, apparently not wanting to be upstaged by a fancy new guardian. With a start I realized that we were still standing in a fairly public area that would no doubt be filling with people as the schools let out. School might already be out for all I knew! We were standing in a danger zone.

"Explanations later, right now we have to get out of here! What if someone sees us?" I hissed, dropping my voice subconsciously as I darted my eyes around the still (thankfully) clear playground.

"I think I have the perfect place." A new voice entered the mix, and I whirled around to be met with Eriol's lazy smile. He was clutching a tall staff with a sun on the top and for a second I wondered how that had gone unnoticed as he made his way to the park. The thought was gone as soon Syaoran grabbed my arm and maneuvered me behind him, somehow having crossed the space between us the second after Eriol had appeared. A moment later Eriol's staff was colliding with the ground and the lot of us weren't in Penguin Park anymore.

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**So there you have it folks. The first update of 2013, one long overdue. I'll try to get as close to the end of this thing as I can over the Summer (school's been really busy this past year), but I've learned to make no more promises. But please, stick around! I promised to finish this and I will. **

**Catch you on the Upside! (Can that be my new saying-thing? Can I make it my saying-thing? Is it too stupid? Eh, if you have a problem with it let me know. For now, it's staying.)**


	26. A Bit of a Late Introduction

**Note: I've changed my pen name from WingedWolfStar to UpsideofCrazy. I'm still the same person, I just wanted a different name!**

**This is a shorter chapter than usual, and I'm sorry for that but this is more a filler-chapter than anything else. It needed to happen to progress the plot and I promise the next chapter will be more filling! That said, I do want to note that this past Wednesday I had my wisdom teeth removed and as such I'm kind of exhausted and the tiniest bit drugged up. About half this chapter was written after having those teeth removed so if it seems a bit off, that's why. So without further ado, the short Chapter 23!**

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It took a while for my brain to catch up with my body, but the first thing I noticed was the fact that Syaoran's hand was still warm on my arm. The second thing I noticed was that we were now standing in the middle of a fancy restaurant in downtown Tomoeda and there were a good thirty-so pairs of eyes trained on us, many of those eyes hanging above mouths frozen mid-bite. Apparently appearing out of thin air tends to draw some looks.

"Eriol what did you _do_?" I stepped out of Syaoran's grasp, ready to face Eriol only to find the boy was no longer there. I had been dumped at the start of the dinner-time rush in a popular restaurant with an angel look-alike, a winged lion-bear, a scowling boy who had pulled a wickedly sharp sword from seemingly nowhere, and two confused girls. To top it all off my brother was still god-knows-where being held captive by the sickest thing I had ever met and it now looked like the whole town was about to find out my secret.

"Sakura, quickly, put them to sleep." Tomoyo's level-headed nature acclimatized her to the situation quicker than the rest of us, letting her analyze the problem and spit out a solution in record time.

"Huh?" I, on the other hand, was still playing catch up.

"Put the customers and wait staff to sleep. Use your cards." Tomoyo wasn't really being subtle about the whole 'magic' thing, but then again I guess there wasn't really a point to secrecy seeing as two obviously non-human creatures were standing in plain view for all the world to see. They even looked to be preening slightly under the attention they were garnering. Pompous pricks.

"Sakura! The cards; Sleep!" Oh, right.

I had first shown Tomoyo my cards ages ago, way back in the beginning when I told her about my adventures in falling out of trees and the Book that had saved me. ('In the beginning…' How can such a short while ago seem like ages?) I'd shown her the cards many times since, usually due to her nagging me about needing a reference for her Clow-based outfits. Thankfully I had yet to be forced into one of them, but I was sure as soon as this whole business settled down I'd be in for one heck of a photo-shoot. Because she has the memory of an elephant, Tomoyo's remembered up until now the names of the cards. And she remembered the name of that periwinkle pixie with a star on her forehead and one on her leotard, wings on both shoulder blades and one for an ear who clutched a moon-topped staff in her tiny hand. When my brain finally finished its reboot, I remembered that pixie too.

"I'm not sure if I can put all these people under; I'm not really at full capacity right now…"

"You don't have enough magic for this and you were going to go confront the Puppetmaster?" Syaoran's brain had apparently finished taking in the sudden scenery change, and he turned to me with eyes smoldering and narrowed. With a grunt he reached out and placed his hands on my shoulders, his sword now a red-tasseled, night-sky orb dangling around his wrist.

"Hey, what are you…" My voice trailed off as I felt the rush of green energy. Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes at him.

He ignored my look. "Just put them to sleep already, before they start panicking."

My staff was still out from my earlier card transformation. Bringing out Sleep, I tapped her card once and the fairy appeared from the now-pink surface. I felt nothing from transforming her, and I decided to take that as a good sign. "Can you put everyone else in this restaurant to sleep please? Oh, and make sure anyone coming in falls asleep as well." The littlest sandman took off to fulfill my request, giggling as she sprinkled glittering powder over the heads of patrons and wait staff alike. I was giggling quietly to myself too when one man fell asleep with noodles hanging out of his mouth. I stopped giggling as soon as the aftereffects of that sleep-trick caught up with me and it felt like my limbs were being put through a meat tenderizer. Syaoran moved his hands from my shoulders to under my arms when my legs began shaking. I felt the green energy flow in greater abundance.

"Syaoran, stop, you're gonna wear yourself out." My tongue felt heavy as it slurred my words. He began a comment of "You're one to talk!" when I found myself lifted off the ground as Yue swept in.

"Mistress, are you alright?" Green magic was replaced by ice blue and though I felt rejuvenated in a matter of seconds, I missed the familiar source of energy and the presence of the boy who supplied it. Said boy was scowling something fierce at my moon guardian.

"I'm fine, put me down. I'm not some shrinking daisy you all have to protect; I can take care of myself." I wormed my way out of Yue's grasp and was satisfied standing on my own two feet again. They were playing pass-around with me, vying to see who could support me in my 'hour of need.' I could support myself, thank-you-very-much.

"Normally I would agree with you on that account, but Sakura. You're dead on your feet.. You have to learn to ration your energy, alright?" Mei-Lin stepped up beside me, placing a supportive hand on my shoulder and looking at me with unnaturally serious eyes. "It's not that I think you can't handle the recoil, but I've seen people use more than they have and… well, I don't want that to ever happen to you."

"Thank you for worrying. I'll be careful." I reached up to squeeze Mei-Lin's hand and gently withdraw it from my back before turning back to the situation at hand.

"Sakura, it's not going to be enough to just put them all to sleep." Tomoyo's words were soft and her eyes were hesitant. "You're going to have to get rid of their memories of us. They can't wake up and realize they all saw the same thing before their collective nap. It'll only further their suspicions."

"Use Erase; it's worked for you before." Mei-Lin's words brought me back to an afternoon spent hiding in a laundry room while a fake-Sakura tried to keep Mei-Lin from figuring out the blank spot in her memory. I subconsciously drew a hand up to my neck where the memory of a rope lingered. When Mei-Lin saw my forehead beginning to crease, she laughed. "No hard feelings, don't worry. I understand why you did what you did. Plus it was all Kero's fault anyway."

"Hey!" My first guardian beast had been quiet up until now, a record length of time for him.

Before he could break that record any further, I cut in. "Erasing their memories of us will solve that problem, but what about the big blank spot it'll leave? I could explain your black-out to you later, but these people can never know the truth."

My attempts to keep Kero silent were in vain but the words he spouted were, for once, relevant. "Use Dream; she'll be able to fill their minds with such realistic and interwoven scenarios they'll have to believe that fake reality."

"Kero, that… was an actually useful piece of information. You're really growing up!" I figured his switch to work-mode was due in no small part to the appearance of my other guardian. Kero's nature probably led him to believe he was now competing with Yue in Japan's Next Top Guardian or something along those lines. For now, I welcomed the change, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to take too much more of this smarty-pants Kero.

"Will you be able to handle it?" I was beginning to learn that when Syaoran or any of the rest of my companions made comments like this, it wasn't because they thought I was weak. In Syaoran's case, it was because he was a worrier by nature and for some reason he worried over me more than others. Tomoyo and Mei-Lin would probably have a few choice opinions as to why this was, but I had made a plan to never ask them about anything Syaoran-related or allow myself to think along those lines. Not until the Puppetmaster was out of the picture for good.

"I should be able too, yes. Thanks for the help earlier, but I've got this one. Just, it might not hurt to be ready after I'm done." I had always been able to say "thank you" easily, but it was harder now when the gifts given were so much more than simple notes or compliments. These were the heavy-hitting "thank-you's," the ones that paid gratitude for saving lives, feeding energy, healing wounds. As hard as it was to say these thank-you's, it was next to impossible for me to admit that there would be further situations arising in which I'd need to speak even more sets of those serious words. I would very likely be in a terrible shape by the time I was done supplementing those in the restaurant with dreams to fill the void in the memories I would be erasing shortly before. I wouldn't be able to face the Puppetmaster and save my brother with energy levels that low and so the unspoken words hung in the air that yet again I'd be using Syaoran's magic as a crutch.

The boy nodded tightly, stepping up behind me with his hands hovering nearby, ready to catch me and feed me green power should I falter. His presence and warmth behind me was a tad distracting (I saw Mei-Lin nudge Tomoyo and not-so-subtly point to my surely reddening cheeks,) but I had a job to do. I felt Yue and Kero step up beside me as well, their auras as different as, well, night and day. They were ready to support me as well and I took a moment to frown at myself for growing into the image of such an incredibly reliant girl, the one thing I had strived to distance myself from ever since my mother had passed. I shook off the negative thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

The jester-clad Erase appeared before me with no tax. I had transformed her weeks before and as such it was easier to tap into her power and snip sections of memory out of the minds of those unconscious in the restaurant. I still knew next-to-nothing about how my Cards and the spirits within them worked, but I was figuring out that transforming the Clow Cards into ones that bore my name freed the spirits, just a bit, and let them draw power from not just me but the environment around us. I think most of my repercussions came from transforming the spirits in the first place, the pain not hitting until I came down off the magic-working high. Realizing this, I knew the next part of this two-step plan would be the difficult one. Widening my stance, I transformed my newest spirit.

Dream was an elegant woman dressed in an Egyptian-esque headpiece that covered her eyes and robes of a similar style. She was serene and stately and sure of herself. Her surety helped me strengthen my own resolve. When she appeared before me I felt next to no drawback to my magic, but I hadn't yet stopped working and was thus most likely still on some kind of adrenaline rush. I set to work quickly, desperate to maintain my energy and confidence levels and implant new memories into the minds of those in the restaurant while I could.

"Dream, could you please fill the blank spots in the memories of these sleeping people with synchronized dreams?" Dream nodded once at my words and set out, touching the foreheads of each individual with precision. With each successive dream-memory implanted, I felt a small lessening of power from within.

_Tough it out, you can do this. You have to be able to manage at least this much if you're ever gonna be able to hold your own against the Puppetmaster! I can't believe that you were thinking of facing him earlier today when you're running out of steam so early on in the game. You've resorted to relying too heavily on your Guardians and Syaoran. You're weak._

My inner monologues were snarky and sadistic, and they were more and more oft becoming. I ignored the black voice, focusing instead on fueling Dream as she gave memories to the last of the wait staff. Thankfully, no one had entered the restaurant in the few minutes we had been standing there, but I knew the longer we waited the higher the probability of more customers became. In another few seconds, however, Dream was returning to me and giving me a small bow as she disappeared with the rest of my energy.

Syaoran was there immediately, hands hoisting me up and supplementing my pink energy with his own green-tinged reserves. The swirl of magic felt nice and looked pretty and I found myself relaxing into it. Yue and Kero stepped in to help as well and my own blushing shade was bolstered with sun-gold and ice-blue as well as spring growth.

"C'mon Sakura, you can't stop now. We need to get out of here before more customers come in. We'll help you, but you need to get us out of here, alright? Alright, Sakura? Can you use a card to teleport somewhere more secluded? Sakura? Can you use The Move? You've already transformed it, so you should be able to use it easier." Syaoran's voice was soft and warm and I leaned farther back into him, almost entirely gone at this point. The only thing keeping me in the realm of consciousness were the intertwining magics lifting my own shrinking supply. Little pieces of meaning flitted into my brain from his words and I picked up on some key phrases like "teleport" and "move." Dumbly obeying, I stuck a hand into my pocket and drew out The Move. Move looked to be a jeweled chalice with two feathery white wings and it flitted around as soon as I released it.

"Good Sakura, good job. Now can you teleport us back to your house? It should be empty, right? Your dad's at work?" Syaoran's words continued to dance in and out of my befuddled mind and I swayed along with them, humming slightly to Move. I guess it got the message because the next thing I knew we were standing in my empty living room and Move was disappearing back into my deck. Syaoran quickly moved to lay me down on the couch, seating himself beside me when I wouldn't let him get up. He was warm and comfortable and I was too tired at this point to know any better. Kero and Yue withdrew to stand at near the front door, keeping watch outside.

"Is she going to be okay?" Tomoyo's voice was low and soft as well, but I found myself preferring Syaoran's voice as he answered.

"She should be fine, she's just overdone herself a bit. I'll continue supplying her magic but I don't think she's going to be up for rescuing her brother any time soon.

I understood that sentence perfectly and responded by lurching up and making to move off the couch. "No, I gotta get Touya." Syaoran caught me before I could fall all the way off and eased me back down onto the cushions.

"You're not going anywhere, Sakura. Not in this state. Your brother will be fine for another day. The Puppetmaster doesn't seem like the impatient type, and Touya's the all-important bait for now. C'mon, you need to rest. I'll even give you my pudding!" Kero stepped away from the door, shrinking back to his plushy-form and flying off to root around in the fridge for a chilled snack.

"But Touya… and Dad…" Tomoyo walked around to stand behind the sofa, brushing the hair out of my eyes as I continued to slump on Syaoran.

"Shh, they'll be okay, I promise. Right now our priority is making sure _you're_ okay."

"Yeah Sakura, we can't have you walking into battle like this! Which, by the way, I can't believe you were planning on doing earlier today; I mean what were you thinking? Though I guess I can relate. If someone took Syaoran like that, I'd probably fly off the handle too. I just wish you'd trust in us a bit more, okay? We're here to support you. And you'll be getting another lecture about this when you're coherent enough to understand what I'm saying." I smiled hazily at Mei-Lin. Her words didn't quite make sense to my dumbed mind but they left a nice feeling in my gut.

"Mistress, there's someone at the door." Yue's chilly voice broke the mood and I was snapped out of my dreamy state, blinking and shaking my head a little to clear my mind. Syaoran's magic was still supporting my own but I knew I still had a ways to go before I was fully self-sufficient again. I had overdone it today, badly. And it was all Eriol's fault for placing me in that restaurant after I had worn myself out unknowingly summoning Yue.

Speak of the devil. My front door unlocked on its own and blew open in a gust of wind. There in the doorway stood the boy in question, bespectacled and looking smug as ever.

"What are you doing here." Tomoyo was around the couch and in front of me in no time, Mei-Lin standing arms-crossed beside her.

"I'm here to check on our little Cherry Blossom, nothing more. I am sorry about my earlier disappearance, but I had something to check up on. I did not know the state Sakura was in when I left her."

"If you make one wrong move…" Mei-Lin trailed off, and I could feel Syaoran tensing beside me. What could he do, though? He had already spent a good chunk of energy today making sure I didn't collapse and I didn't think he'd be able to easily hold his own against Eriol even on a good day. It seemed all I was doing lately was taking, taking, taking and giving nothing in return but empty "thank-you's." Tomoyo didn't have anything but her wit to battle Eriol with and though that would normally render most people incapable, Eriol was not most people. Mei-Lin had her fists but I had no doubt Eriol had more tricks up his sleeve. Kero and Yue might be able to do something, but with the way Yue was starting to bow to Eriol…

"Yue? What are you doing?" My voice was hoarse and I was glad when Kero flew up with a bottle of water and the promised pudding. As soon as he saw Eriol, Kero was back to being wrapped up in feathery white appendages and emerging again in his true form, head down, teeth bared, and ready to protect me. I laid a hand on his head and he relaxed somewhat, but his eyes never left the blue-haired boy.

"I'm paying my respects to my creator." Yue did not look up from his bow.

Kero abruptly sat down at the Moon Guardian's words, furrowing his brow and dumbly repeating Yue's words. "My creator? You mean, this guy is…?"

"Ah, I see I've finally been ousted, huh? Perceptive as always, Yue. I would expect no less. Well then Sakura, let me introduce myself in full. It seems you missed my earlier entrance today, so we shall have to remedy that! My name is Eriol Hiirigizawa. I am the incarnation of Clow Reed. It is nice to finally and honestly meet my successor." Eriol flashed his most winning smile, but the stunning white of his teeth was nothing compared to the stunning meaning behind his words.

"You're Clow Reed?" Syaoran found words for me, sitting up straighter beside me. From the corner of my eye I could see the indignation on his face. "The Clow Reed I'm descended from?"

"In a way, yes. I am not _directly_ Clow Reed, but I am close enough to him. So technically you are my adorable little descendant, yes." The smile on Eriol's face should have been outlawed in most countries. "I share Clow's memories and his abilities and I am here to help you all, I promise. Sakura, all the tests I have given you have been to further your abilities. I am sorry about today; I hadn't realized how much magic you had already performed in preparation for facing the Puppetmaster. I might have pushed you a bit too far, but I am proud to say you succeeded my expectations. All of you have done so well and I want to reward you for that." Eriol stepped towards me and Tomoyo and Mei-Lin were a wall between us, their shoulders straight and their heads held high.

"Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, it's okay. I think… I think I believe him."

"Everything he's done and you're still willing to trust this creep? Sakura, you've got to be kidding!"

"Mei-Lin, I know what I'm doing. I've got a pretty strong gut instinct and I've never been wrong before. Kero, you believe him, right?"

"… I don't want to, but I do. I think the Creep is actually the incarnation of Clow Reed. Wasn't expecting that one." Kero's voice was oddly subdued and pondering. I think Eriol had thrown us all for a loop and the only one in the room who didn't look moderately surprised was the still-bowing Yue.

At my insistence, Tomoyo and Mei-Lin parted to let Eriol through. Syaoran had unconsciously wrapped an arm around me in protection and my recovering mind was aware enough now to blush. _Worry about that later. Right now there's a more pressing matter in front of you._

"Sakura, Syaoran, with your permission I would like to replenish your energy. There is still something that must be done tonight and you will both need to be in peak condition." I nodded, Syaoran doing the same beside me, and Eriol pressed a smooth hand to each of our collarbones. Midnight magic swirled through me, disrupting the colorful residue already lingering in my reserves before settling down and becoming a full shade of rose. I felt better instantly, sitting up straight for the first time all day and blinking newly invigorated eyes.

"That was unexpected." Syaoran too looked more aware.

"What was that thing that needed to be done tonight?" I was ready for any of Eriol's tests now.

"I mentioned how I was sorry earlier about ducking out on your group at the restaurant. It was true that your detour was another of my tests to unlock more of your potential, but that was not the only reasoning behind your misplacement. I had something I needed to check up on, alone. And Sakura, it comes down to this:

"I know where your brother is, and we need to get him back before tonight ends."

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**Yeah I still really love cliffhangers, haha. Also there's a reason Sakura seems a bit off in this chapter, and we'll be getting closer to that reason later. We're actually getting down to the final chapters guys, and it's a bit exciting! I don't expect this story to pass 30 chapters but there will be more than 25 if that gives you enough of a rough estimate as to how much is left. At this point I don't think there will be a sequel to Puppetmaster (sorry!) but I am planning to go back and fix some disconnects in the beginning once I'm done with the whole story. But until then, I'll continue to try churning out chapters and a somewhat reasonable pace.**

**-Upside**


	27. Beasts of Shadow

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any teensy part of CCS - it all belongs to the wonderful CLAMP.**

**Oh snap, it's an update. Sorry for the lateness, as per usual, but it looks like the rest of this story's going to be updated at intervals as infrequent as a couple of months or so. More on that at the bottom though, right now I wanna let you guys get into what you've been waiting for! **

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I found myself standing, unaware of having moved. "You know where Touya is? Tell me. Now."

Eriol, for the first time in his life, looked to be feeling something like remorse. "I am sorry Sakura, I thought the threat level was minimal. I thought you were dealing with something minor, and I came here to take advantage of that slight threat and help to further your training. I never thought something like this would happen, I never thought-"

With each passing word my anxiety had grown and my anger had boiled until I couldn't hold it any longer. "_Eriol!_ Where is my brother? Is he even alive?"

"Your brother is alive, I'm fairly certain. He's-"

"You're _fairly certain?_" I was lunging before I finished the end of my sentence, fingers curled into fists and aimed at Eriol's round glasses. Syaoran caught me before I could actually make contact, wrapping his arms firmly around me and pinning me to his chest. I snarled in his grasp.

"Syaoran, let me go. I have to do this. He's a no-good, creepy, son-of-a-"

"And what will hitting you get him? Calm down. Punching Eriol won't help you save your brother."

"No, but it'll make me feel better."

"Sakura, what's gotten into you?" Tomoyo had moved to my side at this point. I was still squirming in Syaoran's arms as she tried to talk me down. "You know Syaoran's right; this won't help you at all. And would you really feel better? Because I'm pretty sure that, looking back, you'd be horrified you gave Eriol a black eye, no matter how much he deserved it. And right now he has information about where your brother is and the condition he's in. Hitting him, won't get you that information; you need to calm down and talk rationally, okay?" Her words had a soothing effect on me, same as they always have. When she saw me stop struggling, she nodded to Syaoran, who hesitantly let me go. Then she turned her glare to Eriol.

"You deserve a good beating, but now is not the time if what you say is true. We only have until the end of this night to reach Touya?"

Eriol looked slightly shaken, but he was recovering composure quickly. "Roughly, yes. We certainly don't have another full day, but we might still be able to save Sakura's brother even if morning does dawn."

"And why is it that we have so little time? What has the Puppetmaster done to Touya?" I was glad to have a level headed friend like Tomoyo. If I had been alone this night, I don't know what I would've done to Eriol, and then to myself when I went after the Puppetmaster unknowing and unprepared. I know I had acted first, asked questions later in the past, but I never thought I'd be capable of maintaining that mentality to this extent.

"Before I get to that, please; let me finish my explanation." Eriol turned his eyes towards me, a sincere look for all I could tell.

I gave a single nod, and Mei-Lin let her sharp tongue cut in. "Talk quickly, pretty boy. According to you we don't have much time."

Eriol bowed his head slightly, and began talking. "I've sorely underestimated our enemy. As I've mentioned, I came to Tomoeda because I felt the Cards take a new owner here. Of course, it took a while to make the necessary preparations to undergo my journey from England. When I did arrive, I noticed a dark force here – the 'Puppetmaster,' as you call him – but his energy was deceptively weak and thus I had no thought to help you in your fight. Rather, I devised tests of my own to push upon you, in order that you might grow. My only purpose in challenging you was to make you stronger; I had no intentions of ever hurting you or anyone here. I didn't realize the extent of the battle you were fighting until it was almost too late.

"That takes me to your brother: He is not far, Sakura. I found his aura when I went to measure the strength of the Puppetmaster, in order to figure out why you were having so many problems with him. To my previous knowledge, you felt far stronger than your foe, and I had wondered why you and all your friends seemed to be so fearful of him. Now, I know better. But back to your brother: I did not actually see him in person, but his body felt whole. It is his mind, I am afraid, the Puppetmaster is targeting."

"What is he doing to my brother?" I kept myself very still, though inside I was dying to rush out the door this second and blow the entire town down until I had found Touya.

"Patience, cherry blossom." I scowled at Eriol's nick-name, and he quickly amended. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I am getting there. As I was saying, your brother's mind felt weakened – dangerously so. I am not sure what, exactly, the Puppetmaster is doing to your brother. I do know that if we do not stop it very soon, your brother might not recover."

I took a moment to digest Eriol's words, and I sunk heavily back down onto the couch as I fully realized what his one-day time limit really meant. Tomoyo and Mei-Lin came to take a seat on either side of me, but my two guardians and Syaoran remained standing, subtly placing themselves between Eriol and me.

"By 'not recover' you mean he'd die." I finally managed to get out. I was staring straight ahead, through the people and walls and furnishings out into the night where somewhere my brother was dying.

Eriol took a long moment to answer, giving me all the confirmation I needed before he finally uttered a simple, strained "Yes."

I took a shuddering breath. Tomoyo and Mei-Lin each placed a hand on my knees, half in comfort, half in preparation in case I should try to jump Eriol again. Contrary to their beliefs, I was oddly calm. I knew my time limit, had a rough knowledge of what I would be going up against, and fully understood the consequences should I fail. _I will not fail._

"Tell me where he is." I rose from the couch slowly, giving both Mei-Lin and Tomoyo a look to tell them that I wouldn't be making any sudden moves. Syaoran stepped back slightly, letting me stand between Yue and Kero. The latter nudged his head up under my hand.

"I'll do a step up from that. I'll show you." Eriol said no more, but instead drew from somewhere on his being a sun pendant, which he then stretched out into a staff nearly double his height.

"Wait a second, are you really planning to jump all of us there? Because, won't that take a lot of energy? I mean, you did just kinda heal Sakura up, not to mention topping-up Syaoran's magic. Just how much reserve do you have?" Mei-Lin had stood up at this point, and her crossed arms and cocked hips gave away her disbelief.

"Enough." With that one word, Eriol made a sweeping gesture with his staff and suddenly I was alone, hurtling through some black mess of space and stumbling when I came out the other side at the old coal plantation located on the edge of town near the long-abandoned mines. My stumbling led me smack-dab into Syaoran, who appeared from thin air in front of me. He looked about as confused as I felt, though he instinctively reached out to steady me.

Moments after Eriol appeared. "Now then, we'll have to work fast. Not just to save your brother, but to keep the others from interfering."

"The others? Do you mean Tomoyo and Mei-Lin? And Kero and Yue? What did you do to them?"

"Nothing. I did absolutely nothing; they're still sitting back at your house, no-doubt confused as to where the three of us have gone. I would've just taken you, but I figured you'd need some support, emotional and, as it appears, otherwise." Eriol gestured with his staff towards Syaoran, who was still half-holding me up as I waited to get my land-legs back. "However, now that I have revealed my other self, so to speak, to Yue and Kero, they will no doubt be able to track my magic and will find us here eventually. Although it is true that Yue and Kero might have been able to help us, their presence would've been like a beacon to the Puppetmaster and whatever foul creatures he has working for him. In addition, I would think it wise of you to keep the secret of Yue's being from your foe for now. So if you wish to keep your friends out of danger – because there will be danger – I would start looking for Touya as fast as possible."

"Then how about you tell us what exactly we're doing." Syaoran spat. I think the only think keeping him from physically getting the information from Eriol was the fact that I was still leaning on his arm rather heavily. Funny, just a few moments earlier it had been him tethering me back from punching Eriol. It was probably the other boy's grating personality.

"Isn't it obvious? We're saving Sakura's brother."

"Okay dipshit, _how_ exactly are we doing that?" I blinked in surprise at Syaoran's words. I had never heard him cuss before. He must be more wound-up than I thought. Though, if I took the time to look, the clench of his jaw and the lowering of his brows was a dead giveaway that he was ticked.

"Sakura? What can you sense?" Eriol lightly prompted me, and I flashed back to about a week ago when Kero had spontaneously decided to give me a lesson on being a Cardmistress.

"_Alright, if you're gonna be doing this whole 'fight the Puppetmaster, save the day' shtick, you're gonna wanna know where everything is on the battlefield."_

"_How do I do that?"_

"_I'm getting there, Miss Impatient! Jeez, always the curious bear, aren't you?"_

"_It's cat, Kero."_

"_What?"_

"_It's cat; a curious cat, not bear."_

"_Okay, whatever. Anyways, here's what you need to know: Every living thing has a specific energy. This is both a gift and a curse. Active living things, such as people and animals, have a stronger energy. Non-active living things like trees and plants and smaller animals like worms or bugs have energy signs too, but they're very faint. You and me – since we have magic – have an even stronger, brighter energy than ordinary active living things. The Puppetmaster should have this brighter energy signature too, but from everything I've sensed of him, his energy fades into the background like those non-active things. This means he's an incredibly gifted individual, as only the highly skilled magicians can lessen their energy wavelength. However, no-one can completely wipe-out their energy signal. The only way your energy goes off is if you die. So, you'll still be able to sense the Puppetmaster, even if he is trying to hide himself."_

"_So basically what you're saying is I can learn to trace where people are around me even if I can't see them? That would've been nice to know when I was trapped in that dark other-world and couldn't find Syaoran."_

"_Yeah, well tough luck, I'm telling it to you now. And yes, I can teach you to sense the energy around you without alerting anyone to the fact that you're looking for them. In a little while you'll probably be strong enough to actually mask your own energy signal. It's actually much simpler than I'm making it sound."_

"_Good. Now tell me how to do it!"_

"_Aye-aye, boss-lady!"_

Finally finding my balance, I pushed off of Syaoran and stood on my own, reaching out as Kero had taught me, sending carefully-masked pink tendrils to all the spaces around me. There was Syaoran, warm and green and good, and Eriol was over there – a distant midnight blue, _he must be stifling his own energy_ – and something else, something dark and dripping and grating and horrible. Pushing that aside for the moment, I strengthened my search. I had to feel Touya around here somewhere. His energy couldn't have just disappeared. I refused to believe it was gone, because then that would mean he was gone. _The only way your energy goes off is if you die._

Pushing harder, I finally found Touya's energy, pulsing faintly but covered in the sticky black energy I had sensed earlier. For the moment, I didn't care how weak his signal was. He was still alive.

"I found Touya!" I exclaimed, wincing a half-second later when I realized how loud my voice was.

"Problem is he's not the only one here." Syaoran's voice was gruff. He too, it appeared, had been scanning the area.

"You mean that black mess? I think it's the thing affecting Touya. I actually didn't sense the Puppetmaster at all; I don't think he's here."

"Correct, Sakura. Your Puppetmaster has had to leave to attend to other matters, it seems. What those might be, I fear to find out. It does look like he's left a host to entertain us and your brother, however." Eriol gestured vaguely in the direction of the warehouse. "You sensed your brother somewhere in there, correct? Where did you sense the beast?"

My face paled as I realized what he was talking about. "Somewhere out here." I was moving a second later, sprinting across the open ground and taking refuge within the shadow of the door. Here, at least, I could find some cover or shadow to slip into. Syaoran was stepping in behind me a second later, with Eriol delicately taking up the rear guard.

"Now what?" Syaoran asked.

"We find Touya, fix whatever's wrong with him, then get him out of here and defeat that black thing somewhere along the way."

"Great plan, Sakura. Really love the details." Syaoran remarked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Well do you have a better idea?" My temper spiked, flushing spite out into my words.

Before the situation could blow up any farther, Eriol stepped in. "I suggest we go with Sakura's plan, but take it as carefully as we can. We do not have time to be slow, but we do not have time to be hasty either. Keep your senses open for that dark being, but hopefully we will not have to deal with it today, especially as we do not know what 'it' is. Please, though, do not argue. If Touya is to be saved, both of you will have to hold your tongues."

Eriol's words made me blush. I had acted stupidly in rising to Syaoran's bait, but I couldn't entirely help myself. There was something about him, something infuriating and magnetic that amplified every emotion I felt.

Thankfully Syaoran apologized first, as I'm fairly certain I would've been unable to muster up the one simple "sorry" he offered me if he hadn't spoken first.

As it went, I was able to speak more than just one word. "I'm sorry too. I was acting dumb earlier. I'm worked up over my brother, and this situation's tense enough as is, and there's just something about you…" I cut myself off there, turning my face to the side to hide the furtherance of my blush.

"Well now aren't you two adorable?" Eriol was smiling at us fondly, which wasn't helping the state of my face any.

"C'mon. We need to find Touya." I turned away from both boys – one confused, one smiling – and started making my way towards the place where I had felt Touya's faint energy radiating from.

The building I had initially stepped into was filled with rusting machinery and long aisles of stilled conveyor belts. A thin layer of black dust coated everything, and I pulled my shirt up over my nose and mouth to try to filter the coal dust out of my breathing air. When I heard the slight shush of fabric rustling behind me I assumed Syaoran and Eriol were doing the same.

There were many lights in the building, but all of them appeared to be busted. I don't know if I'd have wanted to turn them on even if I could; there was something frightening about the dark in the building, yes, but also something fundamentally comforting. It wasn't an oppressive darkness. It was an enveloping one, hiding us from whatever beast was lurking outside.

When I reached the end of the main, warehouse-esque building, I took no pause before entering the smaller, packaging section of the building. The machinery in this room was just as rusted as that of the last, and coal dust still lay on every available surface. I took care not to brush against any of the furniture.

Touya's energy was getting closer, to the point where I could feel it pulsing slightly just beyond the door at the end of the room. I hastened my pace.

"Sakura, wait." Syaoran's words stopped me just five feet from the door. "Something's wrong about all of this. Has the Puppetmaster ever let us just walk in and do what we want before?"

"No. You think it's a trap?"

"I know it. That dark whatever-it-was is probably going to be called to this room by some thing or another as soon as you open that door. It'd be best to have an escape plan before that happens."

"Good job, my little descendant!" Syaoran grimaced at the tagline. Eriol, ignoring his discomfort, turned to me. "I do have some insight that you might appreciate. I scouted as much of this building as I could earlier, after I had transported you to that restaurant. I couldn't see much of it due to the beast's patrols, but I saw enough to reason out that the door ahead of you is the only way into and out of the room your brother is being kept in."

"Great. So how do you propose getting out? Since you scouted the building and such." _And because I have no clue how to get out of here!_ I kept the second part to myself, glancing at Eriol hopefully.

"I haven't the slightest!" Eriol sounded way too cheerful for someone admitting they were practically trapped in a building with a creature that would probably tear their head from their body with gusto.

"You have to have some sort of knowledge of another exit, or a window, or something!" Syaoran growled, glaring at Eriol.

"Hm, well, besides the door where we came in, there is another exit at the back of this building, past those doors over there," Eriol gestured around the room and towards the back of the long room, "and through a couple more rooms. And of course there are windows in every main room, such as this one. However, I don't know where the back door exits out onto, and the windows are rather high up. Of course, I have no doubt that the two of you could figure out a way to reach them, but I do doubt that you would want to throw yourself through a mess of sharp glass."

Taking in Eriol's words, I paused for a second to read the energies around me. Touya's was still there, but it was feeling fainter, the black covering over it was growing thicker, and I knew we didn't have much time. The beast was somewhere to the side of us, but moving closer to the door than we had come in. I shared my findings with the group, and Syaoran cursed slightly. "Looks like we'll have to take the back door out then. As soon as we open your brother's room, that creature's going to be here in no time at all. Eriol, you and I will hold it off for as long as we can. Sakura, you're going to need to grab your brother and bolt." Although I wasn't entirely okay with Syaoran firing off orders left and right, his plan was more than I had come up with. It was a bit lacking in details, but I bite my tongue to keep myself from spouting Syaoran's cynical words of earlier back at him. What could we really plan for with a situation like this? We'd have to be ready for anything.

"Alright, I'm going in then. I'll meet you both outside, safe and sound. Once we have more space to work we'll take this thing out. Good luck. Just, don't get hurt, alright?" I gave Eriol a quick hug. Then, after a second of pause, I hugged Syaoran too. He was warm, firm, and reassuring. Letting go with the slightest tint to my cheeks, I turned to face the door. "Ready?" Upon hearing both affirmations, I rushed in.

My brother was chained to a bolted-down chair, staring straight at me. "Touya?" No response. It was then that I realized his eyes were unfocused, unblinking, and looking far too bloodshot. After another half-moment I realized that the silvery streaks under his eyes were drying tears.

I was rushing forward now, tripping over my own feet to reach my brother, to convince myself that he was alive, if not alright. "Touya? Touya, please!"

"Sakura, hurry up! The thing's coming!" Syaoran's voice caused me to flinch. In the rush of finding my brother, I had forgotten about the creature outside. There hadn't been any audible alarm, but that certainly didn't mean the beast was unaware of our presence.

I pulled out Sword and got to work cutting the chains. Its sharp blade made short work of them, and I heaved Touya up and onto my shoulders, noting with terror that he was subtly shaking. Still, shaking was a sign of life, and I would take it. "Power, a little help?" A little pink girl popped out of my deck. She was dressed like a pixie with Chinese style buns that reminded me of Mei-Lin. I had transformed her before, so she was able to quickly come to my aid. She melted into my skin and granted me the ability to lift Touya as if he weighed about as much as a hair clip.

Syaoran and Eriol sent me a quick glance when I stepped out, both pausing for a bit longer in a double-take as they took in the half-conscious Touya on my back. Eriol's face quickly returned to his normal calm demeanor, albeit a tad hardened. "Sakura, take Touya and go out the back exit. The beast is coming, and we'll hold it off as long as we can. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Go!"

I hadn't known that Eriol could hold such power in his voice, but that last word sent me sprinting for the back door. I burst out of the factory room into one identical to it. _This isn't a trick, is it? This place isn't some kind of loop?_ But as I continued running forward, I noticed slight differences in this room that hadn't been present in the previous two. Heartened by the realization, I raced through the room and entered yet another workroom. _Just how big is this place?_

I thought I heard the sounds of snarling and running behind me, but when I snuck a glance over my shoulder I saw nothing. Of course the beast wasn't behind me. It was focusing all its attack power on Syaoran and Eriol. I sent another silent prayer heavenward that they would be alright. I continued running.

Another room passed, and then another, and I was seriously starting to reconsider the previously discredited notion of a looping factory when I noticed that the doors I was approaching were different from what I had previously been banging through. They were larger, made of metal instead of wood, and helpfully hanging off their hinges. Hopeful for the end, I put on one final burst of speed. I was so close…

And then I noticed what I probably should have been monitoring this entire time: another's presence. Running almost parallel to me was the energy of the beast, and it was straining to meet me at the exit. Maybe I should've stopped and turned around to find Eriol and Syaoran. But a tiny section of my brain told me that if the beast was out here, chasing after me, it must mean that it had already finished with them. The little voice mocked me with its whiny sing-song. _'Eriol and dear, precious Syaoran are de-ad!'_

They weren't. I knew they weren't, I could still feel their energies in the distance. But the chilling grip of fear seized me anyway, causing me to stumble on my way out the door. I dropped Touya just outside the doorframe as I fell to my knees a bit further on, stricken by a terror deeper and more despairing then any I had felt before. _'Eriol's de-ad! Syaoran's de-ad! Touya's de-ad! Tomoyo, Mei-Lin, Papa, Kero, Yue. Dear little Sakura. Everyone's de-ad!"_ I was shaking, and as one dripping black paw entered my vision I was struck with images of pale skin, blank eyes, and lolling tongues.

_NO!_ I lurched to my feet, coming face-to-muzzle with a creature made from the shadows themselves. Dark wisps were curling around its canine body, and its eyes were only distinguishable due to the fact that they sucked in all the light that dared pass them by. As I looked at it, I understood. It was a creature made of fear, one that intensified and then feasted on the terrors of the living. This is what my brother had been fighting for god only knows how long. This thing, which had summoned up all the dark scenarios that lay hidden in his mind and flung them at him, one after another, never ending, until he died. Another quick check consoled me that Touya was still alive, that his energy was still present. The beast hadn't bested him yet.

But then the thing stepped closer, and I was frozen as it moved its muzzle to my forehead. The factory faded, as did the coal mine ahead of me, my brother behind me, the gravel under my feet. The only thing that was left was black, unending and suffocating black. It was my deepest, most basic fear: loneliness. And this time I knew that there was no Syaoran somewhere in the darkness, no Light and Dark to draw me out. This was solely in my mind, and I would have to wage the battle on this front all by myself. All by my lonesome.

I was dropping to my knees, suddenly, and the darkness was pushing me down, further, further, until I was slipping through the floor. Just as the black was filling up my lungs, it turned to red, and then I was coughing and spitting up the metallic taste. I was swimming in a river of blood, and when I looked to the banks all I could see were the dulled eyes of everyone I knew. There was Naoko, Chiharu, Rika, Takashi. Kero, Mei-ling, Eriol, Yue. Dad, Touya. Tomoyo. Syaoran. Their bodies were painted as red as mine, and waterfalls spilled from their chests. I was drowning again, slipping under the red and back down, down, into the black. But I was granted enough light to see my hands, and they were still stained, dripping red.

_Their blood on your hands, Sakura. Your hands. Your fault. __**Your fault.**_

I was shivering, I was crying, and the blackness was coming up to suck me down into another layer of red.

"_This isn't real. C'mon, snap out of it! You can beat this, we know you can!"_ Somehow Voice had managed to project herself into my conscious. Her words were clear, and they stopped the blackness creeping up under my chin. My mind stilled.

_She's wrong. You can't beat this. __**You can't.**_

"_Don't listen to it, Sakura! All of us spirits believe in you! And so do all of the people around you! You aren't alone! So you have to climb out of this, okay? In order to protect the ones you love, you have to defeat this beast."_ Voice rallied me, and with a grunt I lifted myself up out of the blackness.

"Everything…" I started, eyes drifting down to hands that were now clean as the snow, "Everything will surely be alright." I found I could stand, and I did so quickly, glaring into the darkness. "Everything will surely be alright!" Then the black was cracking, the world slipping in-between and the black eyes of the beast were suddenly looking much less black. They were splitting as well, crumbling to specks of white dust.

"Sakura!" Syaoran's voice sounded behind me, and I turned to see him running towards me, Eriol close behind. "Sakura!" He yelled again, but this time his voice was far less elated. "Behind you!"

Apparently the beast wasn't done. It was splintering, but it was going to bring me down with it. It wrapped its black fangs around the back of my shirt, missing my neck by a fraction of an inch, and tugged backwards hard. I was yanked off my feet and sent careening back towards the opening of a mine shaft. The elevator was out, and as the beast finally broke behind me I was left free-falling down into another land of black. This black would eat me up as well, and at the bottom of the well there would be pools of red to submerge me before sending me back to black, then again to red. Black to red, black to red, black to red…

I heard Syaoran shout my name again, and the sound of it tugged me out of the last of the beast's influences. I was falling, fast, and I needed something to break my fall soon before the fall broke my neck.

I shouted the first word that came into my mind: "Fly!"

Suddenly I was being swept up by an ivory bird with eyes of ruby. It cawed once, loudly, before disappearing behind me. With a sharp tug, the back of my shirt broke open and a pair of pale pink wings arced out. I wasn't falling any longer. I was flying.

I shot out of the mouth of the mineshaft and soared about a hundred feet into the air, marveling at the feeling of hanging, virtually unsupported, in the middle of the sky. Looking down, I could see my brother still slumped against the warehouse wall, Eriol, and Syaoran. Dropping down to meet them, I noticed that Syaoran had a look on his face I'd never seen before. It looked akin to wonder, or maybe awe. It softened his features, especially his eyes.

As my feet touched the ground, the wings on my back fluttered into a pink card: The Fly. I tucked it in my pocket, shot a quick reassuring smile at the boys, and then rushed to my brother's side.

"Touya? Touya, can you hear me?" My brother didn't give me a response, but he was still breathing, so that was a plus. "Touya, please! I can't lose you, please, please don't go. Hang on Touya, okay? You're gonna be fine! Everything will surely be alright!" I hadn't noticed that I was shaking Touya until Eriol stepped down and stilled my hand.

"Sakura, we're going to have to get him attention immediately. I need to bring him back to your house, where I'm going to need anyone with magic to help tend to him. Alright?"

I didn't get the chance to answer, as at that point Kero crashed to the ground with Tomoyo and Mei-Lin on his back. Yue swept down a little more gracefully, but even his movements were hurried.

"What the _hell_ did you _do_? One minute the three of you were in the living room, then next you were gone and I bet it's all that damn Eriol's fault and-" Mei-Lin cut her words short when she noticed Touya lying still in my arms. "Is he, you know…"

"He's alive." Just speaking the words allowed me a moment of peace. Mei-Lin's shoulders visibly relaxed, and both she and Tomoyo jumped off of Kero's back to support me.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Tomoyo had noticed something about me, some leftover remnant from the beast's illusions.

"Not entirely, but I will be. Right now I need to focus on Touya."

"Later, then. And oh dear, look at what you've done to your shirt!" Tomoyo knew me well, and she knew when to press and when to ease up. She had figured right now was not the best time to talk, but she had also figured that I'd need to talk, which I would. I smiled at her comment, though. Tomoyo wouldn't be Tomoyo if she wasn't aghast at the sorry site of my clothing.

"Yue, Keroberos, if you would help me with this transportation spell." Eriol inclined, drawing his staff out and beginning to arc it through the air above his head.

"Of course." Yue smoothly stepped up to Eriol's left, Kero positioning himself on the other side. After a brief moment of nothing we were once again standing in my living room. Mei-Lin and Tomoyo quickly helped me move Touya onto the couch, where Syaoran, Eriol, Yue, Kero, and I all set to work on him, forming a five-pointed star with Touya at the center. With five streams of magic healing him at once, my brother's breathing very quickly returned to normal, and his eyes shut in peaceful sleep. Feeling the last black tendrils banished from his mind, I finally allowed myself to fully relax for the first time that day. It was at this point that I noticed the white square tucked into the pocket of Touya's shirt.

"What's this?" My words drew everyone's attention to the paper in my hand, and with trepid fingers I unfolded the letter and started reading aloud:

_My dearest Sakura,_

_I'm dreadfully sorry your dear brother won't live to see the end of this, but you know what they say about midnights; how they're when the ball ends and all that. Your brother's midnight has come and past darling, and I think it's time to start planning a new ball. Yours, more specifically. So get ready, my dear Cherry Blossom, because midnight's soon approaching and I've heard that glass slippers are awfully fragile. And not to mix fairy tales, but I doubt that prince of yours will be able to wake you up from the sleep that's coming._

_-The Puppetmaster_

_P.S. I do love the name you've picked out for me. 'Puppetmaster…' Sounds so… commanding. We'll meet again soon darling._

I was shaking by the end of it, half of horror and half of rage. "Touya wasn't supposed to live through this. He was going to kill my brother." Despite stating it aloud, I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact. The Puppetmaster had always stopped just short of death for the lot of us, but now…?

"He's started becoming serious." Tomoyo's voice was soft, but her hand covering my own was not. It was supportive and strengthening and let me know that we wouldn't simply give up and lie down.

I crumpled the letter in my hand, turning around to face my companions. "Then I guess it's time we started becoming serious as well."

* * *

**Stuff's happening, oh my gosh! I currently have around four or five more chapters planned for this story, so yup. We're getting to the end, folks, and thanks for sticking around for so long! I have be honest with you though: I'm not sure if I'll finish this story in 2014. Between school, other activities, and plain old procrastination and lack of inspiration, it's taking me longer to write and edit the chapters than it has in the past. I promise I'll never give up entirely on a story, but I can't promise the updates will be quick. Hopefully, though, they'll be worth it! **


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